Ross Ainslie & Ali Hutton Band with Goitse

Lifelong friends and critically acclaimed Scottish pipers Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton return to Celtic Connections with their masterful arrangements of pipes, whistles, cittern and guitar. Named ‘Best Duo’ at the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2017, the pair’s flawless, fearless, and melodic sound has spawned three albums (SYMBIOSIS, SYMBIOSIS II, and SYMBIOSIS III). “The tunes are great, the playing is fantastic and the connection between them is undeniable.” (Duncan Chisholm)

Joining the boys at the Old Fruitmarket are the popular and multi-award-winning quintet Goitse. Forged in the white-hot creative crucible of Limerick’s Irish World Academy, Goitse have become a leader of the new generation of traditional Irish ensembles. Named Live Ireland’s ‘Traditional Group of the Year’ and Chicago Irish American News’ ‘Group of the Year’, as well as winning the prestigious ‘Freiburger International Leiter 2016’ award in Germany, the quintet makes what Irish Music Magazine calls “music that’s brimming with energy and creative zeal.”