Irish Cello Retreat

Celtic Cello Workshop with Ilse de Ziah

Eugene, USA

September 23 – 25

Friday Night: Early evening Meet & Greet,

Saturday: 10 – 4 workshop, 7pm concert, followed by workshop participants Cello Ensemble

Sunday: 10 – 4 workshop

Cello Club

If you cannot make the workshop and are interested in taking part in developing your cello playing in a supportive and fun way and would like to be part of a wonderful community of past retreaters and new cellists, come along and try my online Cello Club. There are many hours of lessons, warmups, a library and a live lesson alternating with a live Zoom hang/session every Sunday. 

VISIT THE CELLO CLUB for more INFO!

Learn Irish Music by the Sea with Ilse de Ziah

PLUS two new workshops running during the same week! Irish Guitar Retreat with Frank Kilkelly and Irish Fiddle Retreat with Laura Ugur Three retreats, with opportunity to join each other for triple the fun and triple the learning! More information on those retreats coming soon. Spaces limited to 10 each retreat, so inquire soon to register your interest.

Are you ready to spend quality time with your cello in a peaceful Irish setting and take your cello playing to the next level with new tunes and skills, in a fun and supportive environment?

Come and join me for a unique once in a lifetime experience in a beautiful location in County Cork, Ireland.

The Irish Cello Retreat, held in the peaceful East Cork setting of Garryvoe is for you, the cellist, to learn how to play Irish music to build on your technique and expand your repertoire. Irish music is a fantastic way to super charge your learning while having fun. The Irish Cello Retreat will give you a chance to learn new fast tunes, gorgeous deep and emotional Slow Airs and ancient melodies. We finish the retreat with a short performance of the music we work on, followed by a wild traditional Irish session.

The music packed days will be hosted in the four star Garryvoe Hotel, in a light room with great acoustics and a view of the sea. It’s the perfect environment to soak up the lessons, share ideas and get inspired. We’ll be lunching and dining together in the beautiful Garryvoe Hotel Restaurant and Lighthouse Bistro, and 2 nights heading to local traditional sessions.

On the last night we will celebrate after the delicious dinner with a traditional Irish session in the Garryvoe Library.

To help you prepare once you have booked we will have a video session (Skype/Zoom) where you play for me and we discuss any issues and aims you have for the retreat. Bonus online material will also be sent to you so you can start playing right away.

Amateur and professional players welcome. All levels of players can be accommodated! Email if you have any questions.

Have a look at the highlights and details from 2019

Join the Irish Cello Retreat!

For payment options choose from dropdown below and press Add to Cart. Options include one of the following;

“One Participant” – Your own booking for the retreat includes all tuition, a beautiful private room, all meals (4 dinners, 4 lunches, 4 breakfasts) €1045

“Participant plus partner” – select this option for yourself plus bring a (non-participating) partner who shares your room and enjoys all meals with the group and trips to sessions (4 dinners, 4 lunches, 4 breakfasts) €1345

“Participant’s Friend” – select the third option (can only be added after you have paid for either of the first two); invite a (non-participating) friend to enjoy the holiday in their own room including breakfasts and dinners! (lunch not included as they will probably be visiting the sights!) €420

EMAIL me to discuss payment methods and any other questions.

What is the Irish Cello Retreat all about?

It’s about being in a supportive and relaxed environment to learn fun traditional tunes whilst developing technique, style and your unique way to express yourself through the music.

Improved Technique
Slides, Polkas, Jigs and Reels – Learning stylistic features of Irish music whilst developing a loose, flexible and effortless right hand and arm, and fast left hand fingers. Get loose and fast.

Slow Airs
Help to develop tone production and deepen expression

Progress your Playing
The workshops are an enjoyable way to work on your technique and will benefit pieces you already play in an effective and powerful way. 

Build Repertoire
To feed your passion for the instrument, and keep your playing fresh it is important to keep expanding your repertoire and styles of playing. Explore!

Inspiration
Adding new styles and techniques to your playing helps expand and express your ideas and feelings through the cello. Be inspired with new ideas to create your own arrangements.

The Workshops

Workshop 1 – Polkas & Slides

This is all about getting some great tunes by memory and working them up to speed. We work on loosening up the right hand and speeding up the left hand with practice tips and new ways of looking at technique.

Workshop 2 – Master the tunes

Here you will get more tips and direction with a look at playing more tunes. We will also work on the tunes we learned in the morning to help develop the authentic Irish flavour through bowing styles and ornamentation.

Workshop 3 – Slow Airs

The gentle art of playing slow airs is all about being free enough in yourself to express a deep emotion. We will look at ways to make your slow playing come alive and you will learn ways to find a great tone and develop your own unique ‘voice’ on the cello.

Workshop 4 – Arranging a Slow Air and a Reel

In this session we will be working with slow airs. You will learn how to create your own arrangements with embellishment, variation, drones, experimental techniques and rhythmic ideas. We will also work on a great fast reel!

Workshop 5 – Accompanying Fast Tunes

Here we learn how to accompany Irish music using drones, rhythms, chord shapes, pizzicato and chopping. We learn the art of ensemble playing, how to get a great rhythm going, and how to expand these techniques. We will work as duos and trios to create pieces to perform.

Workshop 6 – Putting it all together with Frank Kilkelly

Enjoy working with the master Irish guitarist Frank Kilkelly who will work with us with rhythm accompaniments and bring our fast tunes together to create ‘sets’ to be session ready. We look at how to start and how to end tunes and what is needed to let others know what you intend during a session. Frank will also accompany us for the session in the evening. He’s a great player and teacher. Check out his website! We will be session ready for the evenings performance!

The Daily Schedule

Monday 

Afternoon – Check in is from 4.30

6.30pm Meet and Chat in the Library

7.30pm Supper

Tuesday 

7.30am – 9.30am Breakfast in Hotel

10.00am Workshop #1 Polkas and Slides

1.00pm Lunch

2pm Workshop #2 Master the Tunes

7.00pm Dinner

9.00pm Trad Session

Wednesday 

7.30am – 9.30am Breakfast in Hotel

10am Workshop #3 Slow Airs

1.00pm Lunch

2.00pm Workshop #4 Arranging Slow Airs and A Reel!

9.00pm Trad Session 

Thursday 

7.30am – 9.30am Breakfast in Hotel

10.00am Workshop #5 Accompanying Fast Tunes

12.30pm Lunch

2.00pm Workshop #6 Putting it All Together

6.30pm Final Group Dinner

9.00pm Trad Session in Garryvoe Hotel Library

Friday 

7.30am – 9.30am Breakfast in Hotel

Private lessons in Garryvoe Hotel can be arranged separately. Email me to book your private session time for Friday (or Monday if you are not around Friday)

What is included?

• Five Irish Cello Workshops with Ilse de Ziah
• One Workshop with a guest traditional Master
•     Accommodation at Garryvoe Hotel
• Breakfast, Lunch and Evening Meals
• Three traditional Irish Sessions
• Post-course access to any recordings and videos of workshops for private reminder of what you learn
• Health Club and Swimming Pool

Plus Bonus Material

• Access to Play Cello Music School “Irish Airs for Solo Cello” Course – value €79.00
• Link to my award winning Irish music film “Living the Tradition”, an enchanting journey into old Irish Airs
• Downloadable music including Sacred Irish Music for Solo Cello, Trad on Cello, College Groves, Tam Lin, Irish Airs for Solo Cello, and Easy Irish Cello – value €100.00

Meet Ilse de Ziah!

For over seventeen years, Ilse has been developing a repertoire for Irish cello, creating a modern Irish style with strong connections to the past. Her research into Irish Slow Airs was developed into an award winning Irish music film “Living the Tradition”, an enchanting journey into old Irish Airs.

She is a passionate instructor and has run many workshops for cellists and other string players over the years. She teaches Chamber Music at University College Cork, conducts the Cork Light Orchestra, plays contemporary ‘deep listening’ music with the Quiet Music Ensemble, works in theatre and plays cello in many different styles, from Irish, Jazz, Rock & Roll to Classical.

In between her busy schedule of performing and conducting, she publishes her solo cello compositions and arrangements on Play Cello Music and is a Signature Artist on Musicnotes

Ilse says “I saw a need for quality solo pieces that are challenging but not impossible, sound great, and develop technique but are not studies. I aim to help students improve through playing music they love, to develop technique, style and confidence.”

“de Ziah is not only an extremely talented cellist, but arranger of great skill as well….Throughout it is obvious to hear, not only her skill, but her passion.” – Thelma Harris, Goldenplec.com

“I could imagine her heart embracing not only the instrument, but also the spirit of the music itself.” – RJ Lannan, tradconnect

SUPER EARLY-BIRD BONUS!

For fast-action takers who sign up early, get two One-on-One online Coaching Sessions With Ilse – value €100

We’ll use our first coaching session before the retreat to find out your individual needs and help you with pointers to get ready for your Irish cello adventure. Then sometime after the Irish Cello Retreat we’ll follow up together with a session to help ensure that you’re really able to implement everything we learned together.