Category: International Artist of the Year

28
Jan

Celkilt

Nominated for

International Artist of the Year – Finalist

 

Biography

More than 500 shows in 8 years, sharing the stage with Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, The Levellers, Flook, Tri Yann and many others, from Washington DC’s Shamrock Fest to Sion’s Guinness Irish Fest, with stopovers in Russia, Germany, Canada, Belgium or Italy, a Celtic Folk Cruise from Miami to the Bahamas with Flogging Molly & The Offspring and widely noticed live TV appearances (The Great Battle, France’s Got Talent…).

CelKilt is now widely recognised as one of the best Celtic live acts in Europe, and roams the world with one goal in mind:
To share the Power of the Kilt!!!

Website
www.celkilt.com

24
Jan

Sophie Mosser

Nominated for

International Artist of the Year – Finalist

 

Biography

Sophie Mosser discovered the Celtic harp, at the age of five, while she was in a musical awakening class in Strasbourg. She became passionate about this instrument and won in 2010 a prize for excellence at the International Harp Competition of Limoges. She has since had the opportunity to play in various festivals and various places in the region and internationally, in music and dance (Indian classical dance and aerial dance).

10
Mar

Dicky Deegan

Nominated for

International Artist of the Year – Winner

 

Biography

Dicky Deegan Uilleann Piper

Dicky Deegan: born January 1958 north of London to Irish parents (father, Emo, Co Laois, mother, Adamstown, Co Wexford) Dicky attended Irish music lessons in the 1970’s through Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann at the Irish Workers Centre, Camden Town, London, and St Joseph’s, Luton, playing whistle and flute under Brendan Mulkere.

Specializing in the ‘Gentleman Style’ of union piping, Dicky has been playing the uilleann pipes for over 35 years (tin whistle 45yrs) and throughout this period has performed solo uilleann piping at most of the major Australian Music Celtic Festivals including performances at Woodford Malany (additionally appearing at the Malany Showground before it relocated 20km to Woodford, QLD), The Australian National Folk Festival and Port Fairy in addition to many festivals throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe eg playing every year at Europe’s largest Celtic festival the Festival Interceltique in Lorient, Bretagne, France as well as performances at The Willy Clancy Festival, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, Ireland.

Dicky first arrived in Australia aged 23 in 1981 and holds dual Australian/Irish citizenship.

Dicky played flute/whistles for numerous Australian Bush Bands throughout the 1980’s eg The Collywobblers Bush Band, Hobart, Tasmania.

Concert performances, recitals and workshops have in the past been conducted for schools in metropolitan, country and outback Australia.

Dicky was also invited and flown to New Zealand from Tasmania by the Nelson School of Music to hold master classes in uilleann piping and reed making techniques in addition to recitals and concert performances for the New Zealand Uilleann Pipes Society.
From the early to the mid 1990’s, Dicky could also be found occasionally performing at Port Fairy or The Aussie Nash with the Irish hard shoe dancing maestro Conor Hayes (from Melbourne). In 1996 Conor entered for and won the World Irish Dancing Championships, held in Dublin, where he shortly afterwards joined the Riverdance as one of its principal dancers (for the next 11 years!).
Dicky is a much sought-after reed maker for the uilleann pipes eg when the Riverdance was on tour in Australia in 1998 the uilleann piper Declan Masterson was having some chanter reed problems so Dicky made him a replacement double-reed telling Declan it should last him well. Declan has recently (2018) informed Dicky that not only has he used the reed every day since then with no problems in the Riverdance and the Patrick Street band concerts/recordings over the many years since but is still using the same problem-free reed today. January 2019 shall be its 21st birthday!
Dicky Deegan’s playing has been recorded (at Jackie Daley’s old house, Dooris Mill, Kinvara, Co Clare, 1994) for, and by, the Traditional Irish Music Archives, Merrion Square, Dublin.

In addition to his performances on ABC & SBS TV/Radio (Australia), Canal 1 TV (France), the BBC (UK), RTE and Raidio na Gaeltachta (Ireland), Dicky has recorded and worked with many artists over the years including the late Billy Moran, The Fitzgeralds, Jackie Daly, The Furey’s, Mairead O’Sullivan and Donal Lunny.

Over the years Dicky has performed several times in the Sydney Opera House, commencing 1994 in partnership with the Sydney Opera House Trust and the renowned Aboriginal didgeridoo player Mark Atkins where, after the concert, they performed an additional and unique concert duo of uilleann pipes and didgeridoo from on top of the Opera House Sails as part of the Sydney Opera House’s 20th anniversary celebrations. Accompanying the music in the wide open space in front of the Opera House steps, a choreographed ballet was performed combining light dance, heavy machinery from WA and lots of fireworks from the Opera House! The ‘dancing’ was achieved by substituting ‘monster diggers’, on loan from the Western Australian mining industry, filling the role of principle ‘dancers’. An interview was given afterwards with Phillip Adams on ABC’s radio programme Late Night Live.

In 2001 he was honoured to have been one of the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s guest solo musicians, flown in by the ACO’s Artistic Director, Richard Tognetti, to perform in one of Australia’s finest and most exclusive venues celebrated for its outstanding acoustic properties, ie the acclaimed ‘Barrel Room’, at the prestigious ACO-run Huntington Chamber Music Festival in Mudgee, New South Wales (concert recorded by ABC Classic FM). Dicky also toured Australia with the IHOS Opera Company, playing uilleann pipes for their production of, ‘To Traverse Water’.

He also played for the 2002 IMAX Film, ‘Horses – the Story of Equus’ Aus/USA.

Dicky conducts workshops on the playing and maintenance of union and uilleann pipes as well as demonstrating double and single reed making techniques.

Dicky Deegan also holds workshops on the Irish flute and tin-whistle playing.

Dicky has performed, and been invited back to, all of the famous Eco-Fests held in the Lincolnshire Wolds from 2003 – 2011 (last festival was 2012) as well as all the Small World gatherings 2003 – 2010).

He has performed privately for film producer Guy Richie, Piers Morgan, Anya Hindmarsh, Freddy Flintoff, Ringo Star, Jude Law, Robert Downey Jnr, Cameron Diaz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gwen Stefani, Cheryl Cole, Liv Tyler, Kate Moss and 9 years for Stella McCartney.

Dicky was one of the original members of the film producer Guy Richie’s (Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Sherlock Holmes 1, A Game of Shadows 2) Punchbowl Band, resident at his London Mayfair pub, the Punchbowl. Former fellow members of the now disbanded Punchbowl Band (Dan Gott, accordion; Willy Barr, guitar/vocals; Stephen Mulherne, fiddle; Brendan McAuley, banjo/pipes/flute) can be heard in Guy Richie’s film, Sherlock Holmes and A Game of Shadows, Sherlock Holmes 2.

Dicky has four albums of mostly solo uilleann piping: 1. By the River of Gems (1989); 2. An Phib (released by An Piobaire Uilleann at the Willy Clancy Festival, Miltown Malbay, Co Clare 2002); 3.Music of the Irish Celts (2005); 4. Hibernia (2012, double CD album, available in Brittany). Albums 1, 2 and 3 were assisted by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Recreation through Arts Tasmania.

Dicky plays extensively throughout Brittany (including the famous Galway Inn sessions [18 Rue Belgique] incorporating the Festival Interceltique, Lorient, along with old friend and ex-Pogues/Popes banjo maestro, Brian Kelly). Summer recitals of solo union/uilleann pipes are also performed in small churches throughout rural Brittany.

Presently residing at Haworth Hall in the East Riding of Yorkshire in the UK, he is still performing, teaching whistle and uilleann pipes, reed making, working as a session musician, conducting workshops, recording and compiling a definitive and detailed collection of uilleann pipe music notation for future publication. The music from his album An Phib has also been written down and notated in detail including the uilleann-pipe gracing. He has also recently been playing with the fiddle-player Milo Thelwell in a series of fiddle/uilleann pipes recitals held in villages and small towns around the Nth Yorkshire moors and coast.

He has been invited to perform for the monthly Cobblestone series of concerts, Dublin, by the Irish Uilleann Pipe Society, Na Piobaire Uilleann, Henrietta St, Dublin.

In addition to the above, Dicky is a member of several bands and performs as a soloist on a regular basis around the UK, Eire and Europe through an Irish music agency based in London.

24
Jan

Celtica Pipes Rock

Nominated for

International Artist of the Year – Winner

 

Biography

2018 Live at Montelago-DVD

In 2018, the 9th year of touring all over Europe and North America, from Florida to Alaska, after shows and video shootings in New York City and Hawaii, after 5 CD-albums and over 4 million views on YouTube (counting the official videos only), it seemed to be time for the 1st Celtica-live DVD.

On August 4th 2017 Celtica played at Montelago, Italy, a brilliant show in front of 8000 fans. The band celebrated with the enthusiastic audience an unforgettable summer night of symphonic Celtic Rock – and every single note got filmed and recorded…The concert at was released on DVD on Aug. 3rd 2018 and got immediately enthusiastic reviews, e.g. “A top notch audio-visual sensation!” Musikreviews.de; As a 2nd track “Amazing Grace” got released on Youtube.

2018 was again a year of intense touring, in spring and fall bringing Celtica to the US including Hawaii, where a band-skydive-video was filmed, and during summer performing shows in Europe, e.g. Italy, UK, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France; More than 420 performances since 2010; More than 20.000 follower on Facebook, Youtube: 4 million views, counting official videos only, the original tune “Megawatt”, filmed at Old Tucson Studios, Arizona, in March 2017 has more than 700.000 views.

But how did it start…?

2009 Start at the Grand Canyon

Celtica –Pipes Rock is founded in December 2009 by the Austrian guitarist, composer and producer Gajus Stappen who gathers several European and US-American musicians in Phoenix, AZ, to record their first CD “Rising” and to shoot their first video at Grand Canyon and Monument Valley for the song “Atholl Highlanders”. On bagpipes: John McLean Allan and Gwendolen Rowe. Bass player Harald Weinkum stays as founding band member till presence. Thomas Rettl, kilt maker and fashion designer, supports the band from the very beginning with for the band designed kilts and accessories. The combination of the traditional sound of Scottish bagpipes with the power of a Rock Band promises to become a recipe for international success.

2010 “Rising”

During the summer touring season Celtica plays most of Europe’s major Celtic and/or Scottish themed festivals, as well as many local Music and Art Festivals, taking them to Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, and Austria, just to name a few. Their first CD “Rising” becomes a “Celtic” favorite on European radio stations and a hot seller on Internet Music outlets.

2011 Touring Europe

The season extends Celtica’s touring territory in Europe and even bigger festivals, while they start working on their second CD “Oceans of Fire”. Duncan Knight becomes the male bagpiper of Celtica. Trying to extend their popularity “across the pond”, they start gaining notoriety with several US- and Canadian promoters, leading to the planning of their first North American Tour for fall of 2012. The co-operation with AKG, a world famous company for audio technical equipment, starts.

2012 “Oceans of Fire”: USA and Canada

Energized by their second CD release “Oceans of Fire”, which contains also original tunes, they are booked solid on the European festival circuit from May to October, only to be joyfully interrupted by the 1st Canada- and USA-tour including prestigious Celtic Festivals like Canmore and their 100th performance at Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sally Garen, promoter of the Canmore Highland Games, Canmore/ CAN: “Celtica has a very professional show, crowd-interactive, with high-caliber studied musicians. Really enjoyed your music and meeting you all. What a lovely group of people!”

2013 From New Mexico to Alaska

This year brings lots of touring in the USA playing shows from New Mexico to Alaska, from Newport, RI, to San Francisco, so Celtica invests in a complete 2nd backline, a van and trailer for the US. In Europe shows are played from Netherlands to Italy, from Northern Germany to Southern Spain. Jane Espie, the “Phantom Piper”, follows Gwendolen as the female piper of Celtica, drummer Matthias Katzmair becomes a regular band member. At Schotten Radio, one of the biggest Celtic radio stations, “Cape Horn” gets more than 250,000 requests and Celtica gains the pretty rare, prestigious “MacDudel Award” (within 14 years only 7 bands received this award). Their version of “What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor” stays among the Top 20 of Schotten Radio`s most requested songs for nearly 2 years. 2013 ends with a short Scotland-tour and more than 5000 followers on Facebook.

Hartford, CT/USA-based promoter Gail McClellan calls Celtica “THE new band on the international Celtic music scene”, and she goes on to say, “I really loved the Celtica CD; their music is very appealing, they have exciting stage presence, not to mention the fire show which people love.”

2014 “Legends and Visions”

The year starts with the 4th US-tour including a video shoot for “Whiskey in the Jar” in New York City. In spring the 3rd album “Legends and Visions” is released. Besides 4 tunes all other are original compositions. The 3 Celtica CDs became all #1 of the CD Baby charts and in 2014 all 3 albums are at the same time among the top 5 selling albums. In August contracts are signed with Magnetic Music as the booking-agency for Germany, Swiss and Luxembourg and Membran Media Group for worldwide distribution of the Celtica albums. In fall Celtica is touring again for 2 months in the USA, performing the 200th show. The official videos on YouTube have more than 1,000.000 views; Over 10,000 followers on Facebook.
Rick Field, promoter of the Hagen Celtic Festival said, “You were the hammer, the whole town is talking about you…!”

2015 Wacken Open Air

The classical violin player Aya Georgieva joins the band to make the sound more symphonic. The 2nd video shooting in New York City: “Avalon” in Manhattan. Celtica plays their 1st Germany club tour as headliner. Sven Hilberth gets hired as the band’s first full-time sound engineer. In August Celtica is invited to perform at a top slot at the world´s biggest Metal festival, the Wacken Open Air in Germany: Saturday 9-10pm, and the band presents a kick-ass show. Two videos catch the electrifying performance in front of thousands of head banging “metal-heads”. Another highlight is the performance at the European Harley Davidson Week, one of the biggest biker festivals in the world. Suzanne Lee-Barnes, London based promoter, is extremely enthusiastic about the hot show: “One of the 10 best performances I have seen ever in my whole life!” In fall Celtica performs again in the US, including their 1st time on Hawaii. The band uses the chance to be on an island, which is famous as a shooting location for Hollywood blockbusters, to film a spectacular video: “Visitors”.

2016 “Steamphonia”

The 7th year on tour brings a complete re-launch. The 4th album “Steamphonia” is released and delivers a significant change in sound and musical style: Influenced by bands like Nightwish and Within Temptation, symphonic and Metal elements make the sound more epic and powerful and introduce Celtica to an audience outside of the Celtic and Folk orientated circles all over the world. The band-styling follows the music and shows influences from Gothic, Steampunk and Metal styles. Stage design and website look also reflect the new sound. Christof Seidl, one of Austria´s top live sound engineers, gets signed for the upcoming show. The band tours again the US, including several shows on Hawaii. On YouTube, Celtica has more than 1,400,000 views. The 300th performance is celebrated at Hagen, Germany, on May 28th, and the band counts over 15,000 followers on Facebook.

2017 “Live at Montelago” with classical orchestra

After 4 studio albums it was time for Celtica to record and even film a full live performance. To make it one of their best shows ever, a classical orchestra and choir were hired. After months of preparations and rehearsals while constantly touring the day of the show had arrived: On August 4th 2017 at perfect weather conditions Celtica played a brilliant show at Montelago, Italy in front of 8000 fans. The band celebrated with the enthusiastic audience an unforgettable summer night of symphonic Celtic Rock – and every single note got filmed and recorded…In December the concert was released as a double live CD and got enthusiastic reviews. As a first sample of the upcoming DVD “A Telegram for Monsieur Verne” got released on Youtube presenting Celtica for the first time with a classical orchestra;
Youtube: 2,7 million views, Facebook: 17.000 followers, more than 350 performances…

Website
celticarocks.com

Facebook
@Celticarocks

22
Jan

Clan Celtica

Nominated for

International Artist of the Year – Finalist

 

Biography

Frankie Mac – the creator of Clan Celtica, studied percussion and tympani performance at the Royal Scottish Academy for Music & Drama (RSAMD), Glasgow, for 4 years from 1981.

As a professional session kit drummer and percussionist, Frankie’s major client list was varied including: The Glasgow Philharmonic, Ayrshire Philharmonic, BBC orchestra, Dead-End-Kids, Deacon Blue, Bad Kangaroo (Neil Diament), Eddie Reader, Trash-Can-Sinatras, Love Decree and John Martyn.

In addition to leading the percussion line, Frankie is currently the main composer, recording producer and manager of the band.

Oscar West – a professional multi instrumentalist including the bagpipe of course. With his unique style Oscar has earned the respect of many peers and he is now in demand with session work all over NZ, most recently the Pop-up-Globe.
Oscar has been an integral driving force of the Clan Celtica sound with his contemporary technique, feel and tune compositions.

https://www.facebook.com/clanceltica