Celtic music revival continues in Oct. 10 concert
Published 6:21 pm Thursday, October 2, 2025
Vashon’s own master accordion player, John Whelan, will play a concert with fiddler Brian Conway as part of the Masters of Irish Music series, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at the Vashon Havurah, 15401 Westside Hwy SW.
The Masters of Irish Music series, presented by Whelan and his wife Jan, is their latest in a long line of musical adventures for the couple. They moved to Vashon in 2018, after first coming to the island to see local performer Kat Eggleston perform in a house concert.
Whelan loved the beauty of the island, saying, at the time, “It’s like visiting my granny in Ireland.”
The Masters of Irish Music series has now become a staple of the community and played host to Irish music makers including Rory Makem, Tony McManus and most recently, Lane to the Glen.
“We are lucky to have a handful of dedicated volunteers including Will Morgan, Karen Dale and Lawson Cannon,” said Jan. “It has been wonderful live in a place where making and presenting music is valued.”
Whelan, originally from England, has been hailed as one of the world’s best living Irish button accordion players.
He has recorded more than 15 CDs, appeared on more than 30 albums with other artists, and spent several weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard World Music Charts. He is widely recognized for forming the John Whelan Band and also for his duo performances with Grammy Award-winning fiddle player Eileen Ivers during the first years of “Riverdance.”
New York-born fiddler Brian Conway is a leading exponent of the Sligo fiddling style made famous by the late Michael Coleman. The winner of two All-Ireland junior titles in 1973 and 1974 and the All-Ireland senior championship of 1986, Conway’s early studies were with his father Jim of Plumbridge, County Tyrone, and with Limerick born fiddler/teacher Martin Mulvihill.
However, it was the legendary fiddler and composer Martin Wynne who taught him the real secrets of the County Sligo style. Later, Conway met and befriended the great Andy McGann of New York, a direct student of Michael Coleman, who further shaped his precision and skill on the instrument.
Conway has recorded music with New York Fiddler Tony Demarco, Joe Burke, Felix Dolan, John Whelan, Martin De Cogain, among others. In 2025, he released his long-awaited third solo album, “Wallace Avenue,” in collaboration with Brendan Dolan. The title pays homage to the street Brian grew up on in the Bronx where he first learned so much of his music from his father, and later, Martin Wynne.
There is a suggested donation of $25 (cash or check at the door) for the concert. Reservations can be made by contacting Jan Strolle, at 206-228-0730 or janstrolle@comcast.net.
