Music Director – Clare Cason

Clare Adkins Cason began violin studies at the age of 4, having been born into a family of musicians. She attended the University of North Texas, where she was chosen as Outstanding Undergraduate in Music. Presently she holds leadership positions in the Sherman Symphony, East Texas Symphony, and the Dallas Bach Society. She became interested in Celtic music as a teenager through the recordings of Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser, and since then has had the opportunity to study with several well-known fiddle players including Matt Cranitch and John McEvoy. Clare has also completed the Teach Traditional Music and Song course offered by the Royal Irish Academy of Music.  In past years Clare has taught Irish fiddle at both the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat and the O’Flaherty Irish Music Youth Camp, and played regularly with the Dallas-area performing group known as the Trinity Hall Session Players. She has also served on the Board of Directors of the Traditional Irish Music Education Society, and is currently the director of the O’Flaherty Irish Music Youth Camp.

Choral Director – Misty Posey

Misty Posey – Misty Posey, sometimes referred to as “Texas’s Celtic Woman” is a Celtic/Classical Crossover Singer-Songwriter with strong Irish influences. Inspired by her grandmother’s Irish heritage and her grandfather’s Native American roots, her music feels timeless – old songs and new – full of moments and fantasy from a Celtic heart. She has performed at many Texas festivals including the Sherman Celtic Festival, Texas Scottish Festival, the 2021 North Texas Irish Festival online, and with several symphony orchestras in Florida. Starting in 2021, Misty accepted the position of Choral Director of the North Texas Gaelic Youth Chorus

Music Instructor – Rebekah Passmore

Rebekah Passmore, award winner in classical harp and national Celtic harp competitions, is sought out as an ardent performer and instructor noted for her ethereal arrangements, compositions, and captivating musicality. She began piano at an early age and later the Irish/Celtic harp. She studied under Lucile Lawrence at Boston University Tanglewood Institute; received her BMus in Harp Performance, minor in music theory, cum laude, under Ellen Ritscher and her MMus in Harp Performance with related field in musicology, magna cum laude, under Dr. Jaymee Haefner from University North Texas. Her Irish/Celtic harp instructors include Grainne Hambly, Michael Rooney, Michelle Mulcahy, Allison Kinnard, and Kim Robertson. She performed classical harp with symphonies in America, Europe and Asia; and has given concerts and workshops at leading Irish festivals and music retreats. With a focused passion for teaching, she delights in nurturing each student’s unique potential upon the harp.