Greetings, friends of Portal Irish Music Week!
As we’re preparing for the holidays, we figured it would be a good time to announce our 2025 dates and staff for PIMW!
The camp classes will run from Thursday, Sept. 18 – Monday, Sept. 22. Arrival and orientation will be on the 17th, and you can plan to travel home on the 23rd. The nearest airports are Albuquerque and El Paso, both are about 3 hours away, and we will help you find transportation to the camp from the airports, if needed.
Joining our staff this year will be Johnny B Connolly on Button Accordion! Johnny was a member of Solas for 6 years, and is a master of Button Accordion and Melodeon. We’ve had a lot of requests for bringing back an Accordion class, and we’re excited to welcome Johnny into our ever-growing Portal family!
Also returning for 2025 will be Isaac Alderson! Isaac has won All Ireland titles on Flute, Whistle, and Uillean Pipes, and you might know him from his band, The Yanks, or any of his many music projects. Isaac was our Flute and Whistle teacher in 2016, and we’re very happy to welcome him back for the 2025 PIMW!
Here’s our complete staff lineup for 2025:
Brian Conway – Fiddle
Marla Fibish – Mandolin
Isaac Alderson – Flute/Whistle
Matt Heaton – Accompaniment
Johnny B Connolly – Button Accordion
Pete Strickler – Tenor Banjo
Colin Lindsay – Concertina and Fiddle
You can read more about the instructors on our Staff page.
Registration for prior attendees will open a few days early, with general registration opening on March 1, 2025. Registration will be done directly with Susan again, and then you will be able to book your lodging through Catherine and the Black Range Lodge.
We’re very excited for our 2025 camp, and hope that you can join us!
Sincerely,
Susan, Pete, and the entire 2025 PIMW Staff.