Cultural Crossroads Festival

Will Woodson (flute, uilleann pipes) and Caitlin Finley (fiddle) play sparky and driving traditional Irish music that’s grounded in the textures and rhythms of the rich Irish-American soundscape of the 1920s and 30s. With roots in the living Irish musical cultures of Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia, and a tremendous admiration for the first generation of recorded Irish musicians, the duo conjures up the sounds of the dance halls, vaudeville theaters, and house sessions central to Irish-American music from the first half of the twentieth century. In 2019, the two recorded their debut album, “The Glory Reel” alongside box player and piano accompanist Chris “Junior” Stevens, which Dan Neely of the Irish Echo called “a fabulous album from three of Irish America’s finest.”

During the pandemic years, the two made “The Phonograph Project”, a Patreon-supported series examining 78 recordings of traditional Irish music made in New York City in the 1920s and 30s. More recently, they’ve made musical appearances at the St. Louis Tionól, the Patrick J. Touhey Memorial Weekend in Boston and the Ward Archives “Archiving Irish America” conference in Milwaukee. Their new album, “Once Through the Hall”, will be released in spring 2027. Cait and Will live in Portland, Maine.

Jackie O'Riley spent her formative dance years in the Irish set dancing community in Boston. Over the past two decades, she has ardently sought out old-style step, sean-nós, and set dancing and is now a respected performer and teacher, with a unique repertoire that includes older steps she’s collected from masters and field footage, and original material she’s composed. Jackie performs and teaches in the US, Canada, and Ireland, was an original member of the touring sean-nós dance show Atlantic Steps, and in 2018 performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin as part of Na Píobairí Uilleann's production, "The Sound of Ireland". In 2023 she was the first dancer, and American, to take part in the Irish Traditional Music Archive’s “Saothar” (composer) series. 

She founded, directs, and teaches O’Riley Irish Dance, a unique, non-competitive dance program for kids and teens, now in its sixteenth year, based in Cambridge/Watertown, MA, and was a 2022 co-recipient of the Mass Cultural Council’s Choreography Fellowship.

In 2019 she co-released a debut, first-of-its-kind “visual album”, From the Floor. Above all, she believes in prioritizing musicality in dancing, being a part of the wider musical and traditional community, and maintaining the joy that drew her to the tradition in the first place.

Darlin’ Corey features the singing and playing of three accomplished Portland, ME musicians known for their engaging live performances and contributions to the East Coast music scene. Award-winning fiddler and singer Erica Brown on fiddle, guitar, and vocals; notable singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Matt Shipman on guitar, vocals, mandolin, bouzouki, and banjo; and highly regarded bass player Kris Day.

Their music draws influences from North American traditional folk, old-time, and bluegrass from Appalachia to Eastern Canada. Matt and Erica’s elegant vocal harmonies are the beating heart of their sound in both their original songs and unique blend of roots music they regularly showcase. In Darlin’ Corey’s singing and playing, you can feel the many years of dedication to these celebrated musical traditions. Soulful, genuine, and full of heart.

Erica Brown’s fiddle-playing is at turns virtuosic and completely unpretentious. Matt Shipman is an ideal counterpart as his versatility on a dizzying array of stringed instruments (guitar, Irish bouzouki, 5-string banjo, mandolin) blends seamlessly, never timid or overpowering. Kris Day holds it all together with his solid bass playing.

Natalie Padilla and Yann Falquet offer an intimate mix of traditional and contemporary folk music. Natalie, a gifted fiddler, singer, and songwriter, blends bluegrass, old-time, and Irish influences, while Yann, a dynamic Québécois guitarist and co-founder of French Canadian group Genticorum, brings his mastery of traditional music and innovative sound to the duo. Together, they weave intricate melodies and harmonies, both on songs and instrumental numbers creating a performance that celebrates the rich, diverse world of folk music.

Open the Door for Three is fiddle player Liz Knowles, uilleann piper Kieran O’Hare, and Dublin-born singer and bouzouki player Pat Broaders. Their music is a rare combination of unearthed tunes from centuries-old collections, newly composed melodies, fresh arrangements of songs old and new, homages to the musicians and bands they grew up listening to, and the unmatched energy of a trio of good friends playing great Irish music together.

Liz, Kieran, and Pat have been mainstays of the Irish music scene around the world, having distinguished themselves over the last two decades as soloists with Riverdance, Cherish the Ladies, String Sisters, Secret Garden, Anúna, and The New York Pops. As a trio, they have played to a wide range of audiences in venues large and small, from Irish festivals, to concert halls, house concerts, and pubs. They have performed around the world: on Broadway and at Carnegie Hall, at L’Olympia and the Palais des Congrès in Paris, in Malaysian rainforest festivals, in theatres from Shanghai to São Paulo, and even in a bullring in Mallorca. Most recently, they have been featured at The Kennedy Center’s Ireland 100 festival, the Celtic Colours festival in Cape Breton, at The Milwaukee Irish Festival, and in The Masters of Tradition series in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland.

www.openthedoorforthree.com