Archive: Arts & Entertainment

Damien Connolly & Jerry O’Sullivan will present a house concert at The Canaan Institute on Friday October 26th 2018 beginning at 7:00 pm followed by a jam session.

Damien Connolly hails from Co. Clare, Ireland. He began learning the accordion when he was 11 years old, taught by his father Martin, renowned manufacturer of the Kincora Accordion. He competed in the Fleadhanna (Irish Music Competitions) throughout his teenage years, taking first place both locally and regionally. In 1997, Damien took first place in both the Under-18 All Ireland accordion and melodeon competition held in Ballina, Co. Mayo. In 2003 Damien moved to the US where he is highly sought after as a music teacher and performer. He has taught and performed at the Catskills Irish Arts Festival, the Swannanoah Gathering and the Augusta Irish Festival, to name but a few.

Jerry O’Sullivan has been widely hailed as America’s premier uilleann piper. His reputation for technical and melodic mastery of the instrument, an Irish bagpipe known for its subtlety and expression, is unsurpassed in the United States, and is demanding considerable attention overseas. Jerry is also widely recorded on the tin whistle, the low whistle, the Highland Pipes and the Scottish smallpipes. Born in New York City to an Irish-American mother and a father from Dublin, Ireland, Jerry first learned to play the Scottish highland pipes. Jerry O’Sullivan is a gifted ambassador of the Irish uilleann pipes, maintaining the historic traditions and melodies of the instrument while expanding its range into new genres of music and media. His mastery of the instrument, traditional knowledge, versatility, and dedication to education truly make him America’s premier uilleann piper.

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