What's Going on at St. Dunstan's

Celebrating the music of Ireland and Scotland, Champion Fiddler and Gaelic singer Seán Heely is joined by all Ireland singing champion Kevin Elam and renowned cellist Ellen Gira. From toe-tapping reels to beautiful ballads, the trio will transport you to the Celtic landscape and beyond.

Seán Heely
Seán Heely is a musical force of nature—an award-winning fiddler, singer, harpist, and composer whose artistry bridges Celtic tradition and classical virtuosity. Hailed by Irish fiddle legend Liz Carroll as “one powerhouse of a fiddler,” he holds the rare distinction of being both a U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion and a U.S. National Champion in Scottish Gaelic song, reflecting his deep mastery of Scottish instrumental and vocal traditions. He is also an award-winning Irish fiddler and harpist, known for his fusion of technical brilliance and heartfelt expression.
A graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in Violin Performance, Seán made his classical solo debut with the Virginia Symphony in 2012 and was named a 2019 Artist in Residence at Strathmore Music Center. An educator in demand, he has served as an Adjunct Instructor at American University and taught at major traditional music programs including Boxwood festival, Acadia Trad Festival, and Fiddle Hell festival.
Seán has toured throughout Scotland, Ireland, Europe, South America, and the U.S., performing at the Kennedy Center, Strathmore, Festival Interceltique in Lorient, Brittany and a featured soloist with the Virginia International Tattoo. His 2022 album Dramagical has been spotlighted on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, and NPR’s Thistle & Shamrock. Based in the greater Washington, D.C. area, Seán tours internationally with the Seán Heely Celtic Band and The Glencoe Lads, and teaches the next generation from his studio in Falls Church, Virginia.

Kevin Elam
Kevin Elam is a multi-instrumentalist and All-Ireland Champion in Men's Singing. Although he boasts a strong background in classical piano and choral singing, and a degree in Jazz studies, Kevin is rooted in Irish traditional music. In August of 2019, he was awarded first place in Men's Singing at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, held in Drogheda, Ireland, and took home the coveted “Dalaigh Shield”, an award only won by one other American in its 65-year history.
Kevin has also won more than a dozen other awards in Irish music, including second place medals in Accompaniment and in Newly Composed Songs at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. In 2020, Kevin was awarded a grant from George Mason University’s Young Artist Commissioning Project, and consequently recorded his debut album of traditional ballads, If I Were A Small Bird, released in September 2021. Kevin was honored to be selected as one of six Artists in Residence at Strathmore Music Hall in Bethesda, MD for the 2023 season.
Kevin stays quite busy with other musical pursuits outside of the Irish traditional music scene. Holding a BM in Jazz Piano from George Mason University, Kevin performs regularly as a keyboardist in jazz and popular styles in the DC area. He has also developed a reputation as a skilled chamber singer, and enjoys singing Renaissance polyphony (as well as other choral works) with several professional choirs, as well as directing his own a cappella chamber group, Ars Gratia Populi.

Ellen Gira
Ellen Gira is establishing herself as one of the most versatile cellists in the Scottish and American Traditional ( “Trad”) music scenes. Combining her passion for Traditional music with a strong grounding in technique from her classical training, Ellen enjoys stretching the boundaries of cello within the Scottish, Irish, American, Scandinavian, and Canadian fiddle traditions.
Currently based in Glasgow, Scotland, Ellen performs with fiddle-cello duo Jocelyn Pettit and Ellen Gira and with the American Old-time trio The Auldeners. She has performed at music festivals throughout Scotland, including Celtic Connections, the Neil Gow Festival, and Piping Live. She has performed twice for Prince Charles, and has been broadcasted live on BBC Radio 3 numerous times. She has also recorded albums with Irish fiddler Manus McGuire and American Scottish fiddler Sean Heely. She earned her masters degree in Scottish Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In addition to her passion for Traditional music, Ellen is an accomplished Classical cellist, performing at such prominent venues as the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., at Cadogan Hall in London, and at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music studying with Stephen Geber and Richard Weiss, the former Principal and current Assistant Principal cellists of the Cleveland Orchestra, and has performed in masterclasses for Laurence Lesser, Joshua Roman, and Zuill Bailey.