Performers
Pierre Schryer
Fiddle
Pierre is one of Canada's leading traditional fiddlers. JUNO nominee, Canadian Folk Music nominee, and celebrated performer and producer, Pierre has established himself as a gem on the music scene among fans and fellow musicians. He was immersed from an early age in the Franco-Ontarian traditions of his heritage, through multiple fiddle competitions along with his triplet brothers. The Schryer Triplets recorded 2 albums and appeared several times on the "Tommy Hunter Show."
As a solo performer Pierre has received numerous titles and awards including Canadian Open Fiddle Champion, Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, Violoneux Championnat, and North American Irish Fiddle Champion. Over the last decade, Pierre has released six solo recordings on his own label, New Canadian Records, of which "Blue Drag" was honoured with a nomination at the 2004 JUNO Awards for best Roots and Traditional Album of the Year, and "Mélange" was nominated at the 2008 Canadian Folk Music Awards for Instrumenta Solo Album of the Year.
Pierre has shared the stage with many colleagues in the traditional music scene including Natalie McMaster, members of Leahy, Jane Bunnet, the Barra MacNeils, Ashley MacIssac, Liz Carroll, John Doyle, Matapat, Club Carrefour, La Bottine Souriante, Altan, Old Blind Dogs and others. He has performed with numerous symphony orchestras across Canada with his acclaimed Symphony Pops show.
Pierre is the creator and artistic director of the "Canadian Celtic Celebration", a three-day festival presented in Thunder Bay, Ontario each June. A native of Northern Ontarian, Pierre is proud to continue planting roots in the north with his wife, TBSO's prized trumpeter Merrie Klazek, and their lovely children, Kyran and Tamsyn.
Erin Leahy
Piano, Fiddle, Ottawa Valley stepdance
Erin Leahy is a member of the musical super-group 'Leahy', the Canadian powerhouse of eight musical brothers and sisters. She is the pianist of the group, and also a fiddle player, composer, arranger, and step-dancer.
Leahy has earned world fame, with 3 Juno Awards and an Academy Award, and has recorded multiple CDs, selling over a half-million copies. The group has produced three television specials, two of which have appeared on PBS.
In addition to recording, Leahy tours across North America and in Europe. The group is known for its dynamic live performances and is considered to be one of Canada's greatest exports.
Erin is currently working on her first solo piano CD, which will include music from various genres, as well as her own original compositions.
Emily Leahy Flack
Voice, Piano, Ottawa Valley Stepdance
Emily Jean Flack, from Dorchester, Ontario, has been immersed in music for as long as she can remember. This is not difficult to imagine, as Emily is the daughter of one of the siblings of the celtic band Leahy. Family gatherings, celebrations, and spontaneous sessions always included a song or a tune, and Emily was there.
At age four, Emily began learning French Canadian step-dancing and by the time she turned eight was also playing the piano. It was not long before Emily found her first love - singing.
Exploring many different styles of music, Emily has clearly developed her own unique sound. With a profound understanding of how to get inside a song, she communicates deep emotion for such a young singer.
Emily has taken her music to festivals and venues across North America. She has appeared as a guest on stage with Leahy and Natalie MacMaster, as well as with various other musicians. Now at the age of 16, Emily is writing her own music, both songs and instrumentals, and is choreographing her own dance routines. She is currently recording her first solo CD.
Martin Nolan
Uilleann Pipes, Whistle
Martin Nolan is one of Ireland's most respected uilleann pipers. The uilleann pipes is a unique Irish instrument where the bellows are controlled by subtle movements with the elbow, rather than by blowing. The result is a hauntingly beautiful sound, evokative of the magical and mystical landscape of its homeland.
Martin's musical travels have taken him throughout Europe and the UK, India, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada. He has performed at the Lincoln Center for the Arts in New York City and the national theatres of Ireland and England, as well as in concert halls across the Indian subcontinent.
In addition to being well known in the Irish traditional scene, he has played alongside jazz greats such as Dave Liebman, the late Michael Brecker, Ronan and Conor Guilfoyle, Tommy Halferty, Michael Buckley and the Boclé Brothers. Other collaborative work includes projects with virtuoso Hungarian violinist Zoltan Lantos and Japanese performance artist Keiji Heino. Martin currently plays with the UK Celtic prog rock band, Iona. Martin has two critically acclaimed albums, "Travel'n Style" and "Bright Silver, Dark Wood."
This summer, Martin teams up with Canadian fiddler Pierre Schryer, for performances from Toronto to Thunder Bay, to Victoria.
Jean-François Berthiaume
Québecois Stepdance, Dance Caller, Percussion
Jean-François is a true talent in the French-Canadian music scene. Much in demand in all his areas of expertise, Jean-François has been entertaining audiences for more than twenty years. His dance calling is unique and original. He always keeps the dancers on their toes and uses his own fancy footwork to guarantee a splendid time.
Jean-François is the percussionist for the traditional Québecois group, "Reveillons!" and the traditional vocal ensemble, "Galant tu perds ton Temps." He has been involved in numerous recordings for Entourloupe, Matapat, Langues Fourchues, Stéphane Landry and others.
Continually active as an educator and choreographer, Jean-François lends his expertise in school workshops and traditional dance groups. His passion, instinct, energy and charm have established Jean-François as a true ambassador of his tradition.
Jean-Francois has been a guest artist at the Canadian Celtic Celebration on four different occasions, including the inaugural year in Thunder Bay with the group Entourloupe in 2002.
Jean Duval
Flute, Whistle
Jean Duval is considered a pioneer of flute playing for traditional music in Quebec. He has been involved in Québécois, Irish and Scottish traditional music circles in North-eastern North America since the early 1980s as a performer, teacher, composer, arranger and pedagogue. As a multiinstrumentalist, he was a member of the group "Phenigma" from 1990 to 1995, performing at various Celtic festivals.
Jean appeared in the role of a fifer, in the film "Black Robe" in 1990. He has recorded a variety of albums, including a CD of his own compositions entitled "Twelve Suites in Traditional Style for one-handed tin whistle" released in 2004. In 2000, Jean was the musical director of the Montreal production of "Galway a Grosse Isle", a theatre historical representation of the quarentine camps and burial grounds for immigrants arriving to Quebec during the Irish potato famine of the 1830's.
Jean recently left his career as an agronomist to devote himself to a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology at University de Montréal, specializing his research on the crooked tunes of the traditional music of Quebec. He continues to enjoy a performance career in authentic traditional music.
Merrie Klazek
Trumpet
Merrie is active as a performer and recording artist in orchestral, solo, folk and pop music. She holds a BMus from the University of Calgary in her hometown, and a MMus from Northwestern University where she studied with the late Vincent Cichowicz. Her musical travels have taken her around the world with performance highlights including the Spoleto Italy Festival, Musik Contemporaire in Strasbourg France, Tokyo's Bunka Kaikan hall, Brandenburg #2 with the TBSO, performances at the International Trumpet Guild Conference 2008 & 2011, as well as the 2010 International Women's Brass Conference.
Merrie has been principal trumpet with the Thunder Bay Symphony since 1999 and has previously held the same position with the Victoria Symphony (2005) and Orchestra London Canada (1996-99). She has been a sessional instructor at Lakehead University since 2001, recently taking on the post of director of the LU Wind Ensemble.
Her solo recording entitled "Songs to the Moon" has been featured on TVO's Studio 2 and CBC. She appears on three JUNO nominated recordings and performs regularly with her husband, renowned Celtic fiddler, Pierre Schryer. Merrie's commitment to her community of Thunder Bay is a great source of joy and she is rewarded to collaborate with Pierre on the presentation of the Canadian Celtic Celebration.
Andy Hillhouse
Guitar, Voice
Having spent much of his adult life as a travelling musician in the fields of folk and traditional music, Andy now divides his time between performance and scholarly pursuits in traditional world music.
Andy's entrance to the world of professional folk music began with the creation of his own group "Mad Pudding", who released four CD's in the late 1990's and performed widely across 2 continents. Now as a song interpreter and specialist on Celtic rhythm guitar, he plays with several of Canada's most respected, unique and exciting acoustic musicians including Pierre Schryer, Zav RT, and The McDades, with whom he won a JUNO award in 2006. Andy is a former member of the JUNO nominated vocal ensemble, Musica Intima.
Andy is also an accomplished choral director and the former musical director for Vancouver's Universal Gospel Choir and the Sarah McLachlan Outreach Choir. He is currently working towards his PhD in ethnomusicology at the University of Toronto with specialization focused on the music of the late Canadian fiddler/composer Oliver Schroer.
Martine Billette
Piano, Canadian Stepdance
Born into a family of great traditional fiddlers from Ste-Barbe, Quebec, Martine Billette put on her first pair of dancing shoes at the age of four while taking lessons with Serge Mathon. After spending a couple of years with Serge, Martine continued to learn the art of dancing from other notable dancers including Martin Duheme and Gilles Roy. With a strong foundation established from years of hard work, Martine has become one of the most respected young professional Quebecois dancers, performing for many years with Montreal based trio, Rapetipetam, Pierre Chartrand and Marie-Soleil Pilette.
Martine credits her father, for introducing her to this rich traditionnal heritage. Along with her talents as a dancer, Martine ia also an accomplished pianist. After receiving her Bachelor of Music from the University of Montreal, Martine has found herself in high demand for both recording and performance engagements with many well-known Canadian artists.
Martine has toured the USA, England, Japan and France with such talents as Menage a Trois, Andre Brunet, Manigance and The Pierre Schryer Band, all representing the rich traditionnal music that Canada has to offer. Martine completed her second Bachelor's degree at the University of Quebec, in Montreal, a three-year Music Therapy program and is now working as a music thearpist in two retirement homes in the Lanaudière area.
Ryan Moore
Highland Bagpipe
Ryan Moore is currently the Pipe Major for The Pipes & Drums of Thunder Bay. The group has gone by this name since 1970, but has been in operation in our city since 1912 as the Fort William Pipe Band. Active with performing at festivals, camps and special events all over Canada and the US, The Pipes & Drums of Thunder Bay offers free instruction to interested participants on highland Pipes, snare drum, tenor drum and bass drum.
Ryan brings a strong and successful background to his position, always stretching the boundaries in pursuit of excellence on the Highland Pipes. Ryan has performed as a soloist in Canada and and the US extensively, and has appeared with symphony orchestras.
In 2011 Ryan performed the Northern Ontario premiere of "An Orkney Wedding with Sunrise" by renowned British composer, Peter Maxwell Davies, with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and Music Director, Arthur Post.
Karen Jardine / Experience Dance
Highland Dance
Karen grew up in St. Albert, Alberta where she studied dance from a very early age. By age 12 she was attending the Alberta Ballet School full-time, studying ballet, jazz, modern, dance history and pas de deux. An enthusiastic Highland dancer, Karen competed in many Highland competitions and games around Alberta. Karen went on to graduate from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) Teacher's Course/Professional Division.
One of her highlights at the RWB was assisting students with highland techniques for rehearsals taught by Arnold Sphor, founder of the RWB. Karen has taught at dance schools in Calgary and Saskatchewan, eventually moving to Thunder Bay to accept a teaching position and later opening her own dance school, Experience Dance. Karen continues to share her love of dance with the students and staff at her school that offers a variety of classes for ages three to adult.
TICKETS
Ceilidh Dance
June 24
Hoito Restaurant
314 Bay Street
Phone: 345-6323
Or online through our secure PayPal account.
Feature Concert
June 26
TBCA Box Office
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