November 3, 2026
Ellie Schirmer, 2026 James M. Curley Scholarship recipient, standing with Dennis Curley.
Ellie Schirmer, a high school senior and CIM student since age 6—flute, whistle, harp— says she is thrilled to receive the annual James M. Curley Memorial Scholarship which funds one year of weekly music lessons for one student on one instrument.
The scholarship was established by the Curley Family in 2023, to honor the late Jim Curley, a beloved brother and uncle whose love of all things Irish extended to traditional and modern Irish music.
It was Ellie’s mom, Galena St. Croix, who casually introduced Ellie to traditional Irish music in 2014. “My Mom wanted me to do something while my sister, Kaitlin, was Irish dancing,” Ellie said. “She saw the music school and said, ‘Oh, you should go do that.’”
Mom and daughter wondered which instrument Ellie might like to try. “What’s good for a little kid who’s 6? What could I get started on?” Ellie recalled. Their answer: “Whistle!”
Ellie performing at a student recital with instructor Chad McAnally in 2018.
Chad McAnally was Ellie’s first whistle teacher. Looking back on those early years, Ellie said she has come to appreciate Chad’s patience: “Whistle is kind of harsh on the ear at such a young age, but it gets better. Everything gets better! We just have to give it the time it deserves!”
During whistle classes with Chad, Ellie said she became interested in harp, which Chad also teaches. “He would play harp and I was like, ‘I really like that. I want to give it a try!’” Ellie played harp for only about two years, though, until flute entered the picture.
Norah Rendell, CIM executive artistic director and Ellie’s next whistle and future flute instructor, first suggested learning flute. “There’s no way I’m going to be a flute player … whistle is my thing,” Ellie remembered thinking.
But after encouragement from Norah, Ellie softened. “Flute just naturally became a sound that I really enjoyed … almost over the whistle,” she said. “And so we just kind of flowed me into flute.”
Ellie progressed through CIM youth ensembles, with especially fond memories of the Starling Ensemble for intermediate-advanced musicians, a particularly spirited group of musicians at that time. Instructor Mary Vanorny chose tunes and arrangements that developed Ellie’s fluency, creativity, and performance preparation.
Ellie with friend and CIM instructor Carmen Pasquerella at the 2025 Midwest Fleadh in Chicago.
Ellie performing with Allegra Larson and Teagan Crowe at the 2025 Teen Trad Showcase, part of the Minnesota Irish Music Weekend teen program.
The next step was the Advanced Youth Ensemble (AYE), featuring CIM’s most experienced and dedicated young musicians, directed by Brian Miller. Ellie said, “I literally told my Mom, ‘I don’t want to be in the AYE. They do so much, and I don’t think I can do it.’”
Norah believed otherwise. “A lot of AYE kids go on to study music in college and some become professional musicians,” Norah said. “But each year, I saw how Ellie consistently enjoyed the music itself and playing with her friends. Being an Irish musician was becoming part of her identity, and it was time for a little push.”
The challenge of AYE was just what Ellie needed. She worked hard to learn dozens of tunes in a couple of months that first year and her flute playing grew by leaps and bounds.
Ellie’s humility, preparation, practice and dedication to her music were clearly showcased at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast in August 2026. She competed in the U18 flute and whistle competitions with two beautiful performances.
Reflecting on her years at CIM—nearly two-thirds of her young life!—Ellie said she has immense gratitude for her instructors, experiences including the Minnesota Irish Music Weekend, summer camps, music friends and student mentors.
“I was definitely nervous and scared in my first year of AYE, but [CIM alum] Ginger Anderson helped me get out of my shell,” Ellie said. “She helped me learn to just go with it. If I messed up, so what? Just keep playing. You’re in practice for a reason!”
Ellie introducing the Advanced Youth Ensemble with instructor Brian Miller at Éigse, a Musical Gaela in February 2026.
Ellie has this advice for starting musicians: “The best things take time, and playing Irish flute is definitely one of those things. It pays off completely. I’m proof of that."
Previous recipients of the Curley scholarship are whistle, flute, uilleann pipes student Katya Roberts (2025-2026), bodhrán and pipes student Oliver Sherman (2024-2025) and guitar and banjo student Morien McBurnie (2023-2024).
About the James M. Curley Memorial Scholarship
Recipients of the James M. Curley Memorial Scholarship must be 18 or younger at the beginning of the initial fall term. The scholarship will be awarded to a student in at least their second year of studies showing exceptional talent, commitment and persistence. The scholarship is available to students studying any instrument, including voice, for which lessons are currently offered at CIM. The scholarship will be awarded on a rotating basis, in order to provide support for students of every instrument. No student shall be awarded the scholarship more than once, and there will be an effort to rotate instruments (for example, not award a scholarship to the same instrument more than once in 5 years).