May 1, 2025
The Center for Irish Music had a stand-out year at the Midwest Fleadh, bringing a record-breaking 49 competitors to Chicago for a wonderful event hosted by the Institute for Traditional Irish Music (formerly Murphy Roche) on April 25-27th, 2025.
Students were joined by CIM instructors Mattie Ernst, Hannah Flowers, Todd Menton, Brian Miller, Carmen Pasquerella, Norah Rendell, Mary Vanorny and Kate Wade, as well as countless family members who were there to show their support. We're so proud of the incredible musicianship that our students displayed.
In addition to solo, duo and trio competitions, CIM had its strongest showing ever with five large ensembles competing in the grúpa ceoil and céilí band categories.
The 2025 competitive groups were:
-u12 Grúpa Ceoil: Directed and arranged by Norah Rendell and Carmen Pasquerella
-Frank Pasquerella Céilí Band (u15): Directed and arranged by Mary Vanorny
-Nick Coleman Céilí Band (u18): Directed and arranged by Brian Miller
-U18 Grúpa Ceoil: Directed and arranged by Brian Miller, with additional coaching by Mary Vanorny
-O18 Grúpa Ceoil (An Luan): Directed and arranged by Brian Miller
Thank you to the following private instructors for their hard work preparing students for their competitions:
| Ryan Behnke Mattie Ernst Hannah Flowers Katie Grennan Iain Dove McAfee |
John McCormick Todd Menton Brian Miller Adrienne O'Shea Carmen Pasquerella |
Norah Rendell Abbey Roemer Dáithí Sproule Gavin Strappe Mary Vanorny Kate Wade |
2024 CIM Competitors & Medals
Competitor |
Place |
||
| 1 | A | Fiddle | |
| Alex Ebinger | |||
| 1 | B | Fiddle | |
| Cora Ebinger | |||
| Cora McRoberts | |||
| Owen Crowe | |||
| Ferran Peckosh | |||
| 1 | C | Fiddle | |
| Beth Bryson | 1st | ||
| Claire Vanorny | 2nd | ||
| Ben Ebinger | |||
| Teagan Crowe | |||
| 1 | D | Fiddle | |
| 2 | A | Button Accordion | |
| Liam Moriarty | 2nd | ||
| 2 | C | Button Accordion | |
| Teddy Brandt | 1st | ||
| 3 | A | Concert Flute | |
| 3 | B | Concert Flute | |
| Asher Jurchisin | 3rd | ||
| 3 | C | Concert Flute | |
| Ginger Anderson | 1st | ||
| Katya Roberts | 2nd | ||
| Ellie Schirmer | |||
| 4 | A | Tin Whistle | |
| Henry Miller | |||
| Vivienne Engelking | |||
| Amelia Engelking | |||
| Alex Ebinger | |||
| Oliver Sherman | 2nd | ||
| 4 | B | Tin Whistle | |
| Asher Jurchisin | |||
| Liam Matthews | |||
| 4 | C | Tin Whistle | |
| Katya Roberts | 1st | ||
| Ginger Anderson | 2nd | ||
| Ellie Shirmer | |||
| 5 | D | Piano Accordion | |
| Erik Brandt | 1st | ||
| 6 | A | Concertina | |
| Clark Matthews | 1st | ||
| 6 | B | Concertina | |
| Kate Bryson | 3rd | ||
| 7 | C | Uilleann Pipes | |
| Katya Roberts | 2nd | ||
| 8 | A | Harp | |
| Henry Miller | 2nd | ||
| 10 | A | Tenor Banjo | |
| Leo Braus | 1st | ||
| 10 | B | Tenor Banjo | |
| 10 | C | Tenor Banjo | |
| Collin Fenton | 1st | ||
| 10 | D | Tenor Banjo | |
| 11 | B | Mandolin | |
| 14 | C | Miscellaneous | |
| 15 | A | Accompaniment | |
| Jack McRoberts | 2nd | ||
| 15 | B | Accompaniment | |
| 15 | C | Accompaniment | |
| Collin Fenton | 1st | ||
| 16 | A | Bodhran | |
| Oliver Sherman | 1st | ||
| 16 | C | Bodhran | |
| Teddy Brandt | 1st | ||
| 18 | B | Fiddle-Slow Airs | |
| 18 | C | Fiddle-Slow Airs | |
| Claire Vanorny | 1st | ||
| Beth Bryson | 3rd | ||
| 18 | D | Fiddle-Slow Airs | |
| 20 | c | Flute-Slow Airs | |
| Katya Roberts | 1st | ||
| Ginger Anderson | 2nd | ||
| 21 | C | Whistle-Slow Airs | |
| Katya Roberts | 1st | ||
| 23 | A | Duet | |
| Liam Moriarty & Brenna Moriarty | |||
| Henry Miller & Izzy Miller | 3rd | ||
| Alex Ebinger & Juniper Grossman-Kirsch | |||
| 23 | B | Duet | |
| 23 | C | Duet | |
| Claire Vanorny & Ginger Anderson | 1st | ||
| Teddy Brandt & Beth Bryson | 2nd | ||
| 23 | D | Duet | |
| 24 | A | Trio | |
| Henry-Ollie-Liam | 1st | ||
| 24 | C | Trio | |
| Teddy-Beth-Collin | 1st | ||
| 24 | D | Trio | |
| Erik-Ben-Dave | 1st | ||
| 25 | B | Céilí Band - Frank Pasquerella | 2nd |
| Ollie Sherman-drums | |||
| Wren Weitske-piano | |||
| Owen Crowe | |||
| Jordan Grubidge | |||
| Elliana Rescigno | |||
| Freya Hegerle | |||
| Ferran Peckosh | |||
| Cora Ebinger | |||
| Asher Jurchisin | |||
| Kate Bryson | |||
| 25 | C | Ceili Band - Nick Coleman | 1st |
| Felix Duckwall-piano | |||
| Ellie Shirmer-drums | |||
| Teddy Brandt-accordion | |||
| John Anderson-concertina | |||
| Collin Fenton-banjo | |||
| Ginger Anderson-flute | |||
| Claire Vanorny-fiddle | |||
| Beth Bryson-fiddle | |||
| Teagan Crowe-fiddle | |||
| 26 | A | Grúpa Ceoil | 1st |
| Mary Raverty-fiddle | |||
| Clark Matthews-concertina | |||
| Leo Braus-banjo | |||
| Maggie Braus-fiddle | |||
| Ollie Callaghan Schreiber-guitar | |||
| Alex Ebinger-whistle | |||
| Amelia Engelking-harp, whistle | |||
| Brenna Moriarty-whistle | |||
| Liam Moriarty-accordion | |||
| Oliver Sherman-bodhran, whistle | |||
| Vivienne Ebinger-whistle | |||
| Henry Miller-harp, whistle | |||
| Izzy Miller-fiddle | |||
| Jack McRoberts-guitar | |||
| Juniper Grossman Kirsch-fiddle | |||
| 26 | C | Grúpa Ceoil | 1st |
| Ellie Shirmer | |||
| Ginger Anderson | |||
| Asher Jurchisin | |||
| Claire Vanorny | |||
| Beth Bryson | |||
| Teagan Crowe | |||
| Cora Ebinger | |||
| Allegra Larson | |||
| Ben Ebinger | |||
| Jordan Grubidge | |||
| Teddy Brandt | |||
| Collin Fenton | |||
| John Anderson | |||
| 26 | D | Grupa Cheoil - An Luan | 2nd |
| Bob Ford-bouzouki | |||
| Mike O'Connor-guitar | |||
| Emma Liu-fiddle | |||
| Ann Schroeder-flute/whistle | |||
| Erik Brandt-pno accordion | |||
| Dave McKenna-flute | |||
| Tom Sullivan-bodhran | |||
| Ben Crowe-tenor banjo | |||
| Nicole Boor-uilleann pipes | |||
| Abbey Boettcher | |||
| Suzanne Rhees | |||
| David Rhees | |||
| 33 | B | Ladies English Singing | |
| Cora Ebinger | 2nd | ||
| 34 | A | Men's English Singing | |
| Ollie Callahan-Schreiber | 1st | ||
| 39 | E | Newly Composed Tune | |
| Beth Bryson |
