All Ireland Champions John Whelan & Brian Conway

 —  —

Boundary Bay Brewery Beer Garden, 1107 Railroad Ave, Bellingham

The formidable duo of John Whelan and Brian Conway are coming to Bellingham...

Both established as legends in the traditional Irish music world, they have been performing together for over 30 years.

Tickets will be available through Brown Paper tickets soon.

Seven-time all-Ireland champion John Whelan is one of the worlds best living Irish button accordion players. John was raised in the vibrant London Irish music scene of the 1970s, and learned his craft from such legends as Lucy Farr, Roger Sherlock, Paddy Taylor, Mick O Connor and his teacher Brendan Mulkaire. He moved to the USA in 1980 and has been inspiring Celtic musicians and fans ever since.

Along with his All-A premier Irish-American fiddler, Brian performs with a skill, grace and force that are steeped in tradition but distinctively his own. Conway has won numerous All-Ireland fiddling competitions, including the prestigious All-Ireland senior championship and has been called one of the best fiddlers of his generation. New York born, he is a leading exponent of the highly ornamented Sligo fiddling style made famous by the late Michael Coleman and passed on to him by legendary Martin Wynne and fiddle great Andy McGann. Brian remains faithful to the rich tradition handed down to himthe distinctness of his tone, the lift of his playing, and the deft ornamentation he brings to the tunes have placed him among the finest Irish fiddlers of any style, Sligo or otherwise. His talents have also been enthusiastically received all over North America and throughout Ireland and the rest of Europe. Brian has released a number of CDs that are classics in the tradition. In 1979 Brian released a duet album with fiddler Tony Demarco entitled Apples in winter. Brian has two solo CDS: First through the Gate was issued in 2002 and Consider the Source in 2008. Brian is also featured on a handful of other CDs including a Tribute to Andy McGann where he is paired with Joe Burke and Felix Dolan. Brians web page can be found at www.brianconway.com.

Please listen to a sample of their music on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO85Hv-EcYk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xfol5qhMtc

Also an All Ireland champion John Whelan was twice awarded musician of the year from the Irish Music Association. He has over 15 CDs and has performed on Late Night with Conan Obrien. John Is also a sought-after composer and producer. His music has been featured on such TV shows as Sex in the City and Historys Mysteries and History Detective. Johns web page can be found at www.johnwhelanmusic.com.