A leading light in the Gaelic musical scene, Allan MacDonald is in demand internationally as a composer, musical director, piper, singer, workshop leader, and lecturer on Gaelic music. One of his myriad gifts is to make pibroch accessible and lovable. His work as a scholar-performer reuniting seventeenth-century piping with its Gaelic roots is influencing a whole generation of pipers. 

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Allan has performed at every major Celtic and piping festival on the planet and has had numerous commissions to compose for BBC television. In 1999 and 2004, Allan directed two pioneering series for the Edinburgh International Festival, presenting every aspect of the piping tradition in 13 concerts, linking music with Scottish history and culture. In 2005, he co-directed a six-part television series screened on RTE, BBC3 and ITV—“The Highland Sessions”—addressing the common language and musical traditions of Scotland and Ireland, which won the best documentary music award in Ireland.

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During his residency, Allan plans to delve into the research, thinking, and composition he's undertaken over the years, and explore different ways in which to bring it forward to the public. 

Katie McNally grew up playing Scottish and Cape Breton music near Boston, Massachusetts and currently tours with her own projects, Pine Tree Flyers and the Katie McNally Trio. A member of the cross-genre fiddle supergroup, Childsplay, Katie has also toured with Karan Casey, John Whelan, and Galician bagpiper Carlos Núñez. Strad Magazine writes that McNally’s “fine precise fiddling…is a joy to listen to: smooth, fluid, and with an unfussy agility to it, though never lacking in character.”

She has appeared at Celtic Colours, Celtic Connections, Newport Folk Festival, and The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, as well as countless folk venues throughout North America and Europe. In addition to her busy touring schedule, she is the artistic director of the Boston States Fiddle Camp and is a devoted educator who teaches regularly at fiddle camps across the country and gives private lessons at her home in Portland, Maine.

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During her residency, Katie plans to develop and begin recording a solo album.

Born and raised deep in the black diamond hills of southwestern Virginia, K.T. Vandyke is a unique and gripping song-smith, who wields handcrafted songs and prose that weave a curious and unique life story. His songs tell the tales of growing up in the coalfields of Buchanan County, Virginia and the trials and victories of those who came before. A collector of song and story alike, Vandyke parallels his own songs to those of Appalachian greats such as Merle Travis, Doc Watson, Ola Belle Reed, Tim O’Brien and Tony Rice, with a sound that is gritty, gothic and grandiose.

A multi-instrumentalist in his own right, Vandyke presents a captivating contemporary narrative through not only his songwriting, but with a diversity of arrangements and instruments alike. He wields a variety styles in his arsenal, be it Doc Watson inspired finger style guitar, whimsical flatpicking lines reminiscent of the Dave Rawlings on guitar and mandolin, or foot taping Irish melodies and haunting Appalachian airs bowed out on a one hundred year old fiddle.

Currently stationed in Bristol, Virginia, he has been performing in the greater Appalachian region and east coast for more than fifteen years. A seasoned performer and multi-instrumentalist, Vandyke can be found performing as a solo songwriter or as one-half of the country swing duo Virginia West. Throughout the last several years he has been affiliated with Johnson City indie-rock acts Pocket Sand and Floyd Strange.

In 2012 Vandyke took home 1st place in the Richard Leigh Songwriters Competition with his song "Huck Finn", and was a featured performer in the festival in the following years. In 2014 he was a finalist in the Visit Music City Songwriting Competition, as well as being named a Telluride Troubadour, a nationally renowned songwriting competition held by Planet Bluegrass at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival held in Telluride, Colorado. In 2019 and 2024 he was selected as a finalist in the Tennessee Dept. of Tourism Tennessee Songwriters contest.

Amidst his musical tenure he has toured throughout the U.S. and extensively throughout the eastern US and mid-west. Performing as a featured opener for such notable acts as Jason Isbell (Telluride Bluegrass Festival), Pokey LaFarge (Thursday Jams Abingdon, Virginia), Blackberry Smoke (Buchanan County Fair), Town Mountain, (Abingdon Summer Concert series), Larry Keel and Natural Bridge (Catawba Music Festival), Sam Lewis (Thursday Jams), Devon Allman Band, as well as performing regularly at Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion.

His latest single “Texas (Walking on Ashes)” is available on all major streaming platforms. His debut “Portrait of a Nomad” EP was produced by grammy winning producer Dave Eggar and multi-grammy nominated producer Phil Faconti, and is slated for release December of 2024.

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During this Residency, K.T. will be working on a collaborative project with Dave Eggar to write and arrange a new musical album inspired by the sounds of Cape Breton and southern Appalachia. 

Dr Michael Newton earned a Ph.D. in Celtic Studies from the University of Edinburgh and was an Assistant Professor in the Celtic Studies department of St Francis Xavier University 2008-2013. He is a fluent Gaelic speaker, has written a multitude of books and articles about Gaelic culture and history, and is a leading authority on Scottish Gaelic heritage in North America. He spent his early working life, however, at FTL Games, celebrated for their innovative 3D adventure game Dungeon Master.

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​Michael believes that board games have evolved to become sophisticated and creative forms of artistic expression that allow people to engage with history and culture. He is currently working on games grounded in Scottish Gaelic language, culture, literature, and history that provide a social context and function for groups of fluent speakers or learners to learn about and engage with aspects of Gaelic heritage in an entertaining and convivial way.

The Shannon Residency will allow Michael to get feedback from Beinn Mhàbu students and other community members about the design of these games through play-testing and critical engagement.
 

Neil Pearlman is a vital and distinctive voice in contemporary Celtic music described as “a tremendous pianist” on BBC Radio Scotland and “a force to be reckoned with” by WGBH’s Brian O’Donovan. A multi-instrumentalist, step dancer and host of the TradCafe podcast, he is best known for his groundbreaking approach to the piano. Motivated by a deep musical curiosity and a love of collaboration, his playing is continually evolving and spontaneous without losing its roots in the traditional piano styles of Atlantic Canada, New England and Scotland. 

Neil tours regularly with Kevin Henderson, Pine Tree Flyers and as a solo pianist. He has appeared at major festivals across North America and Europe and recorded or performed with Natalie MacMaster, Darol Anger, Seamus Egan and Alasdair Fraser to name just a few. 

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During his residency, Neil plans to focus on his research into Gaelic language and music to begin developing the material for a second solo piano album..

Seven-Time Grammy Nominee Dave Eggar has performed throughout the world as a solo cellist, pianist and composer including solo featured appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Aspen Music Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center,

Barbican Center London, Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Kennedy Center, Red Rocks, The Hollywood Bowl and many others.  A virtuoso in many styles, Dave has toured, arranged, recorded and collaborated

with artists such as Lewis Capaldi, Norah Jones, Evanescence, Phillip Phillips, Five For Fighting, Foreigner, Lindsey Stirling, Jimmy Fallon, Paul Simon, Joey Bada$$, Black Thought, Sarah Jarosz, Roseanne Cash, James Taylor, Pete Seeger, Ralph Stanley Esperanza Spalding, King Princess, Judy Collins and many others.

A Graduate of Havard University and the Juilliard School, Daveʼs research on the tribal music of the southern Philippines including extensive residencies on the island of Mindanao led to cross cultural exchanges at Lincoln Center and the Sandler Arts Center in Virginia. Dave Eggar is a professor at the University of Virginia College at Wise and New Jersey City Universityʼs Multi-style string programs where he teachers contemporary jazz and fiddle techniques . He has received awards from ASCAP, the Independent music awards, Grammy nominations for this records Kingston Morning and Ourself Behind Ourself Concealed. He has been a MacDowell and Yaddo Fellow and is a Second degree Black Belt in Shotokan karate.

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During this Residency, Dave will be working on a collaborative project with K.T. Vandyke to write and arrange a new musical album inspired by the sounds of Cape Breton and southern Appalachia.