The Center for Irish Music

Help us Hand Down the Tradition!

More than 20 years ago, a small community of like-minded musicians came together to create the Center for Irish Music. They imagined a meeting place for people who shared a love for traditional Irish music, a music school that could be a resource to the community and a new source of revenue for artists, and a mission that was all about teaching the next generation to be authentic stewards of a rich and vivid musical heritage. 

As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we’re thrilled that the Center for Irish Music has exceeded every goal we set. Thanks to the talent and dedication of our instructors, the joyful commitment of our students, and the generous support of our community, the Center for Irish Music is now the heart center of the tradition in the upper Midwest. Not only do we serve more than 400 students every week through private lessons, ensembles, and group classes, we’ve also built a national reputation for the quality of our programs and teaching artists, a distinction recently recognized by our first major grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Keeping up that steady rhythm of growth and support is the goal of our fall fundraising campaign, which provides critical support to all of CIM’s music programs, from high-quality lessons to high-spirited St. Patrick’s Day ensemble performances. However you choose to give, your tax-deductible donation will help the Center for Irish Music support: 

• Making lessons more affordable for families in need: Your support helps provide scholarships that ensure cost is never a barrier to participation. Thanks to you, the average financial aid package helps cover more than 70 percent of tuition costs. 
• Expanding CIM offerings throughout the week: With a growing faculty of 27 fantastic teachers, 20 percent more students , and more than 4,000 square feet of new classroom, performance and community space, CIM is thriving as never before. Your support will allow us to explore new ways to meet demand, including expanding programs during weekday mornings and weekends. 
• Connecting to the community: Thanks to your support, CIM’s board recently approved the hiring of a new Engagement & Outreach Coordinator to bring Irish music out into more classroom and community events.  
• Making instruments more accessible: For just $10-$20 month, CIM’s instrumental rental program puts expensive and hard-to-find Irish musical instruments like uillean pipes, lever harps, Irish flutes and concertinas in the hands of more than 40 students each year. 

Support from people like you is the reason Irish music has a second home in Minnesota. Thank you for everything you do to help us meet our mission and build stronger connections in our community through the joy of Irish music!

History & Mission

The Center for Irish Music is a thriving community music school dedicated to handing down the tradition to the next generation of musicians in our community. With a year-round course schedule that serves nearly 500 individual students each year with private lessons on 16 traditional Irish instruments (including song in Irish Gaelic), performing ensembles and cultural music classes for all ages.

The only music school of its kind in Minnesota, the Center for Irish Music also hosts the Minnesota Irish Music Weekend, an all-ages  workshop-centered festival that invites world-renowned master artists such as Mary Bergin, Bríd Harper, Joanie Madden, and Billy McComiskey to teach and perform. 

We’re proud of our work helping to put Minnesota on the map for the wider Irish music community. We’re equally committed to becoming an essential player in our city’s cultural landscape, providing high-quality music instruction to students from every walk of life, and high-energy performances that share our commitment to arts education.

Thank you for helping us to hand down the tradition!