Music in the Glen

Jason, Suzanne, Susan, Katherine

Katherine Irwin Thomas:  Fiddle, Concertina, Mandolin, Bodhran

Katherine Irwin Thomas is an Irish fiddler and music teacher residing in Atlanta, Georgia. A champion Scottish fiddler, Katherine began studying Irish music in the late 1990's and has gone on to be  featured in Irish Music Magazine, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Alpharetta Neighbor, Around Roswell, Emory University's Celtic Christmas and as an Instrumental Music Director with Theatre Gael. A seven year veteran orchestra director for the Cobb Co. Schools, Katherine graduated Cum Laude in Music Education  and holds her Masters of Education as well as her TTCT in Irish fiddle from Dublin, Ireland. She has taught extensive workshops and classes in Irish fiddle for the GA ASTA, CCE, Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, Emory University, Alpharetta High School, Chattahoochee High School, Sprayberry High School and at Scoil De Dannan Ceili Camp in British Columbia, to name a few.  In addition to Irish fiddle she is also an accomplished on musician on concertina, mandolin, bodhran and a former dancer with the Cregan-O'Brien School of Irish Step Dance as well as the director and founder of The Atlanta Irish Music School.  She has studied with many great fiddle masters, but her most influential teachers have been Brian Conway of New York and Siobhan Peoples of Ennis, Ireland.

Susan Moran: Song, Traditional Irish Dance

Susan Moran has been singing Irish songs since before she could talk. Strangely enough, her first song was a combination of goo goo- ga ga and Star of the County Down. At the age of ten, after being told by her piano teacher she should probably redirect her musical interests away from activities which required hand eye coordination, Susan auditioned for and was accepted into the Atlanta Young Singers of Callenwolde. Thankfully, she had mastered the English language by now and her young singing career flourished! After six prosperous years, including several European and North American tours, she graduated into Atlanta Youth Chorale. During this time, she began Irish step dancing with the Cregan O'Brien School at the positively ancient age of fifteen; continuing to dance competitively for six years. After competing in the 2002 World Irish Dancing Championships in Killarney, she decided to retire her hard shoes and go out on top. When Susan isn't lilting a tune or raising a pint, she teaches a new generation of champions for the Cregan O'Brien School of Irish Dance in Atlanta.

Jason Killingsworth: Uilleann Pipes, Guitar, Whistles

Jason Killingsworth was born in Galway, Ireland, and plays the uilleann pipes, whistle and guitar. He has studied with such veteran pipers as Paddy Keenan (of Bothy Band fame), David Power, Tommy Martin and Jerry O'Sullivan. Jason lives in Atlanta and serves as the Deputy Editor for Paste Magazine, an award-winning publication that covers music and film. Killingsworth has been interviewed about entertainment trends for local Atlanta radio stations and CNN Headline News.

Suzanne Harner: Fiddle, Bodhran,Traditional Irish Dance

Suzanne Harner is is an award winning Irish step dancer with the Cregan O'Brien School of Irish Dance where she often accompanies dancers with her blazing fiddle tunes.  She has studied Irish fiddle locally and with acclaimed fiddler, Gerry O'Conner of Dundalk, Ireland.  In addition, she is a classical violin student of Daniel Arshavsky and enjoys archery and salsa dancing.