This lecture-recital celebrates the music and life of Chicago musician Selena O'Neill. It explores her early life and family background in Chicago, her participation in local feiseanna, her studies at the Chicago Musical College, and her collaborations with Francis O'Neill on the publication of his final four books of Irish traditional music.

The presentation will include a live performance of Selena's music arrangements by the renowned violinist Aoife Ní Bhriain. 

Richie Piggott, originally from Cobh, Co Cork, Ireland, has now lived in Chicago, USA for more than twenty years. His father, Johnny Piggott, was an accordion player from Dooks, near Glenbeigh, Co Kerry and his mother, Margaret Flannery, was from Dingle, Co Kerry. Her family were intimately involved in the marching bands of Dingle down through the years. Richie’s brother, Charlie, was a founding member of De Dannan and continues to play Irish music professionally today. Although not a musician himself, Richie’s love of Irish music has led to a lifelong collection of Irish music books and music manuscripts and a deep interest in the history of Irish traditional musicians. For the past 12 years, Richie’s focus has been on the history of the lives and music of Irish immigrants in Chicago and the surrounding area over the past hundred years. He has contributed several historical recordings and manuscripts to the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) and to the Piper’s Club, Na Píobairí Uilleann (NPU) in Dublin, Ireland, and he has delivered many presentations on his work in Chicago and Ireland over the past few years.

Aoife Ní Bhriain, Arts Council / UCC Traditional Artist in Residence 2026

Born in Dublin, to a family of musicians, Aoife Ní Bhriain has established herself as one of the most versatile musicians of her generation. Thanks to her musical heritage combined with her classical studies she has collaborated and performed with musicians such as pianist Eliso Virsaladze, fiddle player Martin Hayes, violinist Mariana Sirbu, Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, jazz guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel and Oscar winning actor Tim Robbins. She has been guest co-leader of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Guest Leader of Crash Ensemble, Stargaze Ensemble, Concorde Ensemble and has also co-led the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

She is a member of the avant garde string quintet Wooden Elephant as well as the Goodman Trio with whom she has explored the manuscripts of the music collected around Ireland in the1800’s by Canon James Goodman. Since 2021 Aoife has joined forces with Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and in October 2023 they released their debut album “Double You” to critical acclaim.

Winner of the RTÉ Best Folk Instrumentalist of the Year, the Camerata Ireland Young Musician Award and the prestigious Bonn Óir Sean Uí Riada in 2010, Aoife has also won seven All Ireland titles as well as prizes in international violin and chamber music competitions. Most recently Aoife has qualified for the semi-finals of the International Bach Competition 2022 in Leipzig and was awarded the Next Generation Award from the Arts Council of Ireland. In 2024 Aoife was shortlisted for Best Folk Album for her album with Catrin Finch in the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards. Recent performances include Shostakovich Violin Concerto no.1 with the Sudwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz and the Bach Double Concerto for Violin and Oboe with the Orlando Philharmonic alongside some of her own arrangements and compositions.

She graduated with first class honours from the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Leipzig in 2018 and plays on a violin by J.B. Vuillaume on generous loan as well as a Jurgen Manthey violin purchased through the Music Network Music Capital Scheme.