Events

What makes teaching truly impactful? How can we grow as teachers as well as musicians?
Join us for our 2026 symposium, a day exploring the art and craft of teaching. Our keynote speaker is Dr Liz Doherty, traditional musician, educator, researcher and Founder of I Teach Trad. The day brings together teachers, performers and learners to share ideas and practice and to reflect on how we pass on our music.

Full programme 

Registration: 9.45am

Fáilte Isteach: 10.15am

Denise Kelly
From the Classroom to the Concert: Lessons learned along the Way
Denise Kelly, one of our most revered and renowned harper composers, and for many years lecturer in Harp Studies in TU Dublin, shares her experiences and insights from throughout her career.

Geraldine O’Doherty
Practicing with Purpose: How to persuade your students that good practice routines are essential to good performance.
Critically acclaimed Principal harpist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Professor of Harp at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Geraldine O’Doherty takes us on the practice journey, giving tools and techniques for beginners, improvers and established harpers.

Alyth McCormack
Being in the Moment – Let go of Doing and just Be
Maintaining and increasing flexibility is an important component for harpers and their teachers in every aspect of their practice. Alyth McCormack, singer and yoga teacher speaks about stress relief, and shares the benefits of yoga to reconnect with ourselves so that we can perform more fully.

Keynote Address: The Teaching Musician
Dr Liz Doherty
Teaching is an art, a craft, a science and a profession, yet it is something many of us simply find ourselves doing, drawing instinctively on what we know and how we ourselves were taught. Liz Doherty invites us to think more deeply about the teaching musician: to explore the knowledge we already carry, to become curious about how and why we teach as we do, and to consider our development as teachers as an equally rich and lifelong journey.

My Practice: My Story – Brídín, Conor O’Brien, Alannah Thornburgh

Hear how a new generation of harpers from a diverse range of harping backgrounds and styles reflects on and develops their future practice. All three harpers will share key elements of their artistic practice in performance. Facilitated discussion with Aibhlín McCrann.

Dr Liz Doherty (Keynote Speaker)
Dr Liz Doherty is a traditional musician, educator and researcher from Buncrana, Co. Donegal. An experienced fiddle teacher, she has spent over 30 years teaching traditional music in Ireland and internationally, alongside an extensive career in higher education, where she taught and developed curricula in traditional music and music education. A National Teaching Fellow, she holds a PhD in Cape Breton fiddle music and is author of The Cape Breton Fiddle Companion. Liz is Founder and Director of I Teach Trad, developing training, courses and resources for traditional music teachers, including Read Music the TRAD Way, her innovative approach to teaching music literacy in the traditional music context. She is also a performer, arts consultant and television music producer.

Date: Sunday 15 November
Time: 9.45am – 4.30pm (lunch will be served)
Venue: Vernon Studio, Royal Irish Academy of Music
Tickets: €20/€15, Registration Essential Register Here