Events

Sukin Series

ARKINS, BIGLEY & COULTER: A CELTIC EVENING

Thursday
Mar 7, 2024

7:00PM

The Billings Depot

2310 Montana Ave.

$25 - $42

Buy Tickets Purchase Subscription

Eimear Arkins, multi-instrumentalist, singer, & Irish dancer
Brian Bigley, uilleann pipes, Irish flute, whistles, & dancer
David McKindley-Ward, guitar

Eimear Arkins’ pristine vocals and dexterous fiddle playing complement Brian Bigley’s ethereal and evocative piping, all supported by the solid, rhythmic foundation of David McKindley-Ward’s guitar playing. Eimear and Brian will also delight with their world-class dancing.

To get tickets:

Click to buy online

What's cool about the concert?

When Eimear Arkins was nine years old, she entered into the Fleadh Cheoil, which she explained as the World Championships of Irish Music. She qualified from her county and province and went on to compete in Fleadh Cheoil na heireann, the All-Ireland Final.
Eimear was named winner of the All-Ireland Final at age nine.
Brian Bigley has studied the Irish uilleann pipes for more than 25 years as a player and builder of the instrument.

Guest Artists

Eimear Arkins, Brian Bigley, and David McKindley-Ward are principal musicians with the uniquely moving productions 'Rambling House' and Tomáseen Foley's 'A Celtic Christmas.' Eimear's pristine vocals and dexterous fiddle playing complement Brian's ethereal and evocative piping. Combined with the solid rhythmic foundation of William's exquisite Grammy-Winning guitar, they stretch the boundaries of Irish traditional music by incorporating the discipline usually associated with the Baroque music tradition. Arkins and Bigley also delight audiences with their world-class dancing

How long is the Concert?

When do I clap?

Whenever you want! Seriously, the tradition of clapping only at the end of pieces was only for a short time in the history of music. Typically, people like to clap after a great solo in a jazz tune, an impressive dance move, or after a great movement (section) in a symphony. If you really like a piece, clap at the end of the movement and yell "encore" if you want to hear more. (We love playing encores!)

What are ticket prices?

General Admission Seating:

General Admission - $42
Under 30/Student - $25

*all ticket prices do not include box office fees

Here are some other helpful tips you should keep in mind:

Interested in additional savings? Buy a subscription! Contact us at 406-252-3610 or visit our offices at 2820 2nd Avenue North and we'd be more than happy to find the best deal for you. Subscriptions for our 2023–2024 season are available!
If you’re a student, veteran, or active duty military, be sure to bring your student/VA/Military ID for great discounts!

Third party tickets are not accepted. All tickets must be purchased through the Alberta Bair Theater Box Office.

What do I wear?

More than anything, we want you to have fun and express your own style when you come to the Billings Symphony, so dress in a way that works for you. Some people love dressing up and going out—if that’s you, do it and you won’t be the only one, we promise. If you prefer to be more casual, then you probably won’t be the only one dressed casually, either. In short, you do you, and we’re just glad you’re joining us.

Where do I park?

On City streets, there is both metered parking and posted parking.

Metered parking times range from 2 hours to 10 hours and is free after 5 pm and on weekends.

Garage parking nearby includes the Hart-Albin Parking Garage (free after 5PM and weekends) and Billings Park 1 (credit/debit cards only). Located at 2912 Third Avenue North and is open to the public 24-hours per day – the office is open Monday through Friday, from 10:30am-6:30pm. There is free parking on Sundays.

Guest artists

EIMEAR ARKINS | Multi - Instrumentalist, Singer, & Irish Dance

Eimear Arkins is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and dancer from Ruan in County Clare, Ireland. She holds eleven solo All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil titles and has competed in all Ireland, European and World Dancing Championships. Eimear has toured extensively with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann on concert tours throughout Ireland, Britain, North America and Canada. She has represented Ireland in France as a performer at Rennes Expo and in Spain as a participant in La Noche Negra a cultural collaboration and exchange between the Mid-West of Ireland and the province of Asturias. In 2014Eimear was selected to be part of the Comhaltas National Folk Orchestra of Ireland, which was put together to perform the Boróimhe Suite, a newly composed suite of music, written and directed by Michael Rooney, commemorating the life of Brian Ború. For the past seven summers, Eimear has performed with the internationally renowned show Brú Ború and was part of the troupe that represented Ireland at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China. In August 2015, Eimear traveled to World Expo 2015, in Milan with St. Louis Irish Arts where she promoted not only Irish culture but the expression of Irish culture worldwide. Eimear has toured and performed with numerous groups including Cherish The Ladies and Téada. She is a regular teacher at St. Louis Irish Arts since and has given workshops at various festivals throughout the world including Catskills Irish Arts Week, New York; Viljandi Pärimusmuusika Festival, Estonia; St. Louis Tionól, St. Louis; Festival Interceltique de Lorient, France, Winnipeg Irish Fest, Canada and Canadian Celtic Celebration, Thunder Bay, Canada.

BRIAN BIGLEY | Uilleann Pipes, Irish Flute, Whistles, & Dancer

Brian Bigley has studied the Irish uilleann pipes for more than twenty-five years as a player and builder of the instrument. He has toured North America and Europe extensively as both a musician and a dancer, appearing in productions such as Tomàseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas, Apollo’s Fire’s Sugarloaf Mountain Christmas, and The Omaha Symphony's Celtic Journey. In 2002 and 2003 Brian competed with great distinction at the World Irish Dance Championships held in Glasgow and Killarney. In 2019, he was awarded second place at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in the piping competition. Brian has four self-produced albums of traditional Irish music in addition to various contributions including a solo on the Sugarloaf Mountain Christmas album that reached number three on the Billboard Charts. Brian now lives near Cleveland, Ohio with his fiddler wife, Kristen, and their dancing children, James and Kathleen. There, they have started a family business producing stage productions and building Irish pipes and flutes. In 2019, they debuted their very own show called Rambling House which will be on tour in 2020.

DAVID MCKINDLEY-WARD | Guitar

Award winning musician and singer, David McKindley-Ward, grew up in the DC area steeped in folk, American and old time music. His traditional singing style and versatile accompaniment skills meant a transition to Irish music was a great fit. David has collaborated with Irish singers and instrumentalists alike including Billy McComiskey; Eimear Arkins; Liz Hanley; and Joey Abarta and Brenda Castles as The Sheep Stealers. He has recorded a number of albums with long-time friend and songwriter Letitia VanSant. Over the last few years, he has made a name for himself as a touring artist across the US, Ireland and the UK and a regular performer and tutor at festivals including Catskills Irish Arts Week, Baltimore TradFest and The Philadelphia Céilí Group. He recently moved to the Boston area and has found a musical home amongst the fine traditional Irish musicians based there.