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LAURA CORTESE & THE DANCE CARDS (Belgium / USA)
Laura Cortese is a prolific songwriter, vocalist, and fiddler who artfully weaves American roots music with indie, electronic grooves, and pop powerhouse vocals – all the while appealing to a broad audience from millennials to seasoned folkies. Berklee College of Music graduate Laura Cortese has collaborated with artists such as Band of Horses at Carnegie Hall, Pete Seeger at Newport Folk Festival, and Patterson Hood and Michael Franti for Seeger’s ninetieth birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden. Laura Cortese has amassed a committed audience of devoted fans from her 20-year career of touring and nine studio albums to date. Compass Records released her most recent acclaimed records, California Calling (2017) and Bitter Better (2020), featuring Laura Cortese and The Dance Cards. The Dance Cards collective features a rotating cast of unmatched talent who uplift the songs with orchestral string arrangements on cello, bass, and fiddle, as well as catchy, pop vocal harmonies. Whether performing solo or with a band, Laura Cortese charms her audience with her witty and engaging storytelling, catchy songwriting, and audience participation leaving the room filled with an upbeat fervor.
MARK SULLIVAN and JEREMY RUSU (British Columbia / Ontario)
A three-time Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, Mark Sullivan is one of Canada’s finest fiddlers, captivating audiences with his masterful technique and deep-rooted connection to tradition. Raised in Bowmanville, Ontario, he grew up immersed in the old-time sounds of Don Messer and Graham Townsend, quickly becoming a dominant force on the Canadian contest scene - a 3x Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, 3x Canadian Open Champion, and 3x winner of the prestigious Pembroke Fiddle Competition. In 2022, Mark released "Promenade Home," a collection of original tunes inspired by his early years playing country dances with local legends. Now based in British Columbia, he serves as President of the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Association, leading efforts to preserve and promote Canada’s rich fiddling heritage. Whether on stage or behind the scenes, Mark Sullivan continues to push the boundaries of tradition while honouring its roots. Whether it’s on jazz piano, drums with a big band, country lead guitar, bluegrass mandolin, accordion, or bagpipes Jeremy Rusu is right at home on a stage as long as he’s making music. Blind since birth, Jeremy’s entire life has revolved around music. He was a member of several bands around Winnipeg and recently relocated to Brockville, ON. Jeremy is also busy working as a studio musician and recording engineer. Most recently, Jeremy has released his first solo recording titled “The Accordion Album,” and will soon be releasing an album of lullabies with his wife, Annie.
RYAN YOUNG and ALANNA JENISH (Scotland / Ontario)
Ryan Young is a Scottish fiddle player working within the traditional music of Scotland. His playing is noted for its distinctive tone and phrasing, with an approach that places melody and expression at the centre of the music.He first came to wider attention with his debut album, produced by four-time GRAMMY winner Jesse Lewis (Béla Fleck, Yo-Yo Ma), establishing the foundations of a career that has since developed an international reach. He has toured extensively across the UK, Europe, North America and Australia, and is recognised for a style that draws on both Scottish and Irish traditions.Alanna Jenish is a Canadian fiddler and guitarist. Based in Peterborough, Ontario, her musical background is diverse, beginning with roots in Canada’s Ottawa-Valley tradition, and expanding through a range of folk and fiddle-based genres. Alanna has performed across Canada, the United States and Europe with artists including The Fitzgeralds, Portage, Jane & Kyle and Ryan Young. She holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Media Studies from the University of Sussex. In 2025, Alanna received a Canadian Folk Music Award for her most recent album ‘Daleview’ as Instrumental Composer of the Year. As an instructor, Alanna has worked at various music camps and workshops including the Goderich Celtic College, AlgomaTrad and the Toronto Fiddle Collective. She has appeared at York University Faculty of Music as a guest instructor, and has served as an adjudicator for both classical music festivals and Canadian Old-Time Fiddle Competitions.
EIMEAR ARKINS and DAVID McKINDLEY-WARD (Ireland / USA)
Eimear and David met at Catskills Irish Arts Week in 2018. Their friendship and musical partnership developed out of many cross-country roadtrips back and forth between St. Louis and Baltimore playing tunes with friends and singing together. They have been performing as a duo for the last number of years across the US at festivals including IrishFest Atlanta, CelticFest Mississippi, Augusta Irish Retreat, the infamous John D. McGurk’s and as part of the Irish Rambling House touring troupe.Eimear Arkins is an award winning artist from County Clare. She has toured extensively with acclaimed bands; Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann; Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas; and Eileen Gannon. Eimear is a qualified Irish music and dance instructor and has taught at festivals worldwide. In 2018 she released her debut album, What’ s Next? and was awarded “Best Newcomer” from LiveIreland. Eimear released Here & There in 2024 and was awarded ‘Female Vocalist of the Year’ from IrelandTonight. In 2025, she was named one of The Irish Echo’s top 40 under 40 honorees and released The Belles of St. Louis with Eileen Gannon.Award winning musician and singer, David McKindley-Ward, grew up in the DC area steeped in folk, traditional, and protest music from all over the world. From his folk foundation of Pete Segeer and Stan Rogers, he found a love for Irish music from cassette tape recordings of the old folk revival balladeers from the 50s and 60s; the Clancy brothers and Tommy Makem, the Dubliners, The Wolftones, and many more. His interest in traditional singing grew when exposed to such greats as Paul Brady, Dolores Keane, and Donal Maguire, and much of his style and repertoire is based on these three. Currently, David collaborates with many Irish singers and instrumentalists, including, Eimear Arkins, Liz Hanley, Brenda Castles, Joey Abarta, Alan Murray, and many others. He has recorded three albums with singer-songwriter Letitia VanSant, their latest release “Eye of the Storm” will be released this year.
DAVID BOULANGER and DÂVI SIMARD (Quebec)
Born in Saint-Hubert, in Montérégie, David Boulanger starts to play the violin at eight years old. It is during his teenage years that he finds a passion for Québec traditional music. Always increasing, this passion leads David on the big professional stages at the beginning of his 20s with La Part du Quêteux, a band with which he records two album including one that was rewarded as « Best Album – Traditional » at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Later, he joins the epic Québec trad big band La Bottine Souriante, the two international projects Maja & David and COEFF 4 and recently, he gathers with his long time friends in De Temps Antan.Dâvi Simard is a multi-instrumentalist musician, fiddler, composer, arranger and producer from Lac-Saint-Jean. A prominent figure in the Quebec traditional music scene, he is distinguished by an artistic approach deeply rooted in French-Canadian heritage, which he combines with a bold, authentic and contemporary sound.An eclectic composer, Dâvi revisits the traditional repertoire with freshness and modernity, creating bridges between genres and eras. He constantly explores new ways of arranging old pieces while respecting their essence.More to be announced later this summer...
Lineup is subject to changes. Last updated May 23, 2026
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