Eclectic musician, he has grown up following his father Michele steps and helping him in his lutist lab, a place where he could experience a versatile musical environment and learn to play different instruments on his own. He has then studied the clarinet at the Milan Conservatory, but in the end the Celtic harp was his choice. He has played with different musical ensembles which lead him to perform all over Europe and in different fields like the cinema with the soundtrack of the films “I mostri oggi” and “Principessa”.

He has been playing for different years at Celtica festival, where he had the honour to play lead for the Celtic Nation Anthem, and he is coming back this year as soloist.

“The wings of my soul” this is how Athy calls its harp and its deep bond to it. This young musician from Argentina, which revisits the ancestral sound of the Irish harp by using modern techniques of performance, locates his electric harp in an explosive place, always keeping his subtle romantic nature; all in a contemporary setting.

After his appearance at Celtica 2010, he comes back this year enriched with enthusiasm and passion which he is going to convey through his instrument string vibrations.

This group incarnates a project founded in 1996, whose aim was to create a strong synergy through music by blending on a Celtic music base various styles and genres in sequences of notes, dances, songs and effects worthy of the best musicals. Barrage has been performing all around the world touring the US, Europe (Finland, Sweden, Ireland, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Norway, Monaco, UK), Asia (Singapore, Taiwan, China, Korea), Australia, New Zealand, Central America (Guatemala) and Canada gaining everywhere a huge success. CELTICA 2008 has been their Italian debut and since then they adore our marvellous Valley and Festival. In fact, also this year they have decided to bring back their talent and their show energy among our mountains.

Founded in 2006, from a group of friends it soon became an ever growing musical band pushed by the passion for the typical traditional bagpipe from the Bergamo area, the Baghèt, term which evokes both the music instrument and the place of origin. The group aims to raise the Baghèt to its ancient prestige and, at the same time, to get back and spread the traditional local folk melodies in different ways, one of those is meant to be the musical school.

This band of drummers was formed during several shooting breaks on movie sets, in which members of the band had taken part. Clanadonia, under Tu-Bardh Wilson’s charismatic leadership, can produce nowadays with bagpipes and drums rhythms which have in them values and principles typical of the ancient Scottish clan time, when music accompanied warriors on the battle field.

Last year they thrilled Celtica audience with their music and their overwhelming nature and also this year they promise dances and rhythms to the beat of the heart.

Musicians for passion, members and friends of the Clan della Grande Orsa (cultural association organising CELTICA), for different years they have been animating some of the most suggestive moments of the festival with their bagpipes and drums. They play tunes inspired by the musical history of Celtica and with their energy and vitality they engage and thrill the public. During these years they have been performing with different artists and they have been attending other Italian and European festivals.

Back to Celtica for the fourth consecutive year, Dominic Graham School Irish Dance group fits in perfectly with the mood of party and cooperation that lingers in our Italian festival. These 40 young enthusiastic dancers, always supported by the over 30 years of International experience of its successful school founder, will enliven us with their choreographies that are true to traditions and, at the same time, original and intentionally provoking. Furthermore, this year we are looking forward to appreciating their new powerful show expressly created for Celtica 2011, “Plantyx” (“in honour of”…CELTICA!).

Fiddlers’ Bid come from Shetland Islands, Scotland’s furthest north land, and they are well known for their dynamic swinging approach to Scottish traditional music. Four fiddles as the band main sound, a guitar, a bass, a piano and a Scottish harp create a sound melting harmoniously together both traditional and their own tunes (jigs and reels), thus getting a unique explosive mix.

Founded in 1991, they came to Celtica for the first time in 2001. This year they are back bringing their more mature experience, and they can’t hardly wait to share it with Val D’Aosta audience and to play in such marvellous energy filled place that is our valley , in order to celebrate at best their 20^th anniversary.

This non-professional dance group whose main value is friendship has been making people dance for 17 years in different Italian and European towns, with dances inspired to Breton, Scottish and particularly Irish tradition. Since 2001 Gens d’Ys has become a dance academy reaching very high levels, as it appears clearly in their shows, thanks to the cooperation with internationally renowned artists and to the participation to some workshops managed by professional teachers.

A constant presence at Celtica during these past years, they have become a reference point and a success and energy guarantee for our festival.

The band comes from Edinburgh and Scottish western coast areas. They have taken part in different radio and TV programs, performed shows and given music courses in various festivals all around Europe. They perform snappy songs and tunes rooted in Scottish traditional folk music and enriched with their original creations sung in modern Scots Gaelic, ideal to be both listened to and danced.

They are true Celtica friends; in fact, in their last album, they have dedicated and named a song after the Clan della Grande Orsa.

The Lingalad are a band from Lombardy well known all over the world but not as much in Italy. These four musicians produce suggestive sounds in which magic and emotions from the natural world have a lead role. The melodies of the flute and the vocals blend in with the sound of ancient instruments, while the bass and drums weave a rhythmic base, which is sometimes delicate and sometimes powerful with a growing pace. Not only the sounds but also the images projected on stage during the concert lead the audience to faraway lands lost in faraway times.

Emilian artist begins his training on acoustic guitar exploring later on various styles, until he finally arrives in the 90s at the Harp and Celtic music. This choice brought him to cooperate with many Italian and foreigner artists, and also with the lutist Michele Sangineto; a relationship that made it possible for him to cultivate a taste for experimentation.

For years we have heard him playing his harp under the Peuterey Woods trees, just for his own personal passion or to share his art during music classes or spontaneous gigs. This year he will finally step on Celtica stage as a solo artist and we are looking forward to listening to his music, result of passion and authentic love for the instrument and for Celtic music.

Lynn is a band of recent formation composed by Italian and international musicians, who are able to merge in a perfect union theory and practice, popular Italian tradition and Celtic music with careful attention to Irish tunes.

Last year during Celtica 2010 they animated the late night session stage until the wee hours and we are mostly sure that they will bring also this year their enthusiasm and will to play in the Peuterey Woods.  An absolute honour for us and for them: they’ll be special guests for the show Plantyx!

The singer-songwriter Maura Susanna is considered to be the most genuine voice of the Val D’Aosta true soul. In her repertoire, which favours the folk genre, one can find songs that belong to the tradition of many countries, sung in French, Catalan, Creole and Spanish. She performed in Italy and abroad. She writes in Italian and French-Provencal. Her artistic search is linked to a rediscovery of philological and cultural traditions of Val D’Aosta, and transcends the music field to land in the social field.

Last year experience in Celtica left her enthusiastic and led her to cooperate with the famous Italian harpist Vincenzo Zitello in the musical arrangement of the song “Lo conto de Gronha”, adapted in patois by Loius de Jaryot, and released in his new album.

Is the very first band of hornpipes and Scottish percussions from the Bergamo area. Born in 2010 from a group of friends who shared the passion for traditional music and Scottish culture under the guidance of Pipe Major Carlo Musitelli and lead percussionist of Leading Drummer Ottavio Gusmini. Their motto is “Sóta la sènder, brasca”, which in dialect means “Under the ashes there is ember”, it perfectly describes the personality of these crackling musicians. Their adopted Tartan “National Millenium” comes as a symbol of brotherhood between their territory and Scotland: it encloses the institutional colours of the city and Province of Bergamo, together with the blue and white of the Scottish flag, with a green background as a symbol of the mountains Orobie and the Scottish Highlands.

Of Scottish origins and personality, the Red Hot Chili Pipers are incredibly talented musicians of international fame, winners of the famous BBC talent show “When will I be famous” in 2007. They display a repertoire that varies from songs from the popular tradition to remakes of famous rock songs, and especially for them a neologism was created “bagrock”. Their involving verve, their passion and enthusiasm during live shows, will not leave the Italian public indifferent.

This year they present themselves with a new lineup, an enriched wind section, and lots of enthusiasm. Their vitality and talent will set the audience on fire making everybody dance from the young ones to the elderly with irresistible growing passion.

Group born in the beginning of 1994 in Poland. They create their incredible music from a mix of traditional and modern sounds, able to capture even the most variegated crowd, from the most exigent experts to the novice, thanks to their energy and passion. The Shannon performed on stage all over the world, from the festival Interceltique of Lorient to the Malaysia Forest Festival and cooperated with world famous artists. They took part in Celtica many years ago and this year they come back to the Valley with a new lineup, but keeping the same power.. a surprisingly reaffirmation!

Sondeseu’s performance at Celtica is one of the planned actions for 2011 within the European project ENFO (European Network of Folk Orchestras). ENFO is an organization which relates European orchestras and musical institutes in order to form new contemporary folk orchestras. This organization, supported by the Culture Program 2007-2013 of EACEA, wants to strengthen a stable cooperative network for the next years. The project has been created thanks to the will of Vigo Town and the Traditional and Folk Music Municipal School, ETRAD (Galicia). Sondeseu Foundation with its orchestra, Artemotiva Association with Tradalp orchestra (Italy), Sibelius Academy of Helsinki (Finland) and Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (Scotland) are involved in this project.

SonDeSeu is one of the first folk contemporary orchestra in Europe, born in 2001 in the ancient department of “Musica Tradicional de la Escuela de Artes y Oficios” of Vigo. Since then they follows an ever growing path that puts the orchestra on the Spain market with three records and many public awards. Their repertoire is composed by typical themes from their own traditional Galician popular music, arranged by the different components of different sections: gaitas (Gallegian bagpipes), percussions, hurdy, violins, “requintas” (typical Galician flute) and wooden flute, vocals, harp and plucked string instrument. The instruments are also built by local artisans. The presence of the 40 members on stage is impeccable, their shows original and innovative, their music full of energy sending out messages of joy and harmony to audiences at any age.

Iain Marr (flute and bagpipe) and Federico Melato (percussions, piano, arrangement and songwriting) are two young artists and friends coming from numerous musical experiences. In 2010 they gave life to the project “The Sidh”, with which, thanks to their creativity, fantasy and drive, they achieve to emphasize ancestral traditions and revive in a modern way the melodies of their land, blending technique and experience and producing an innovative and unmistakable sound.

These members of the Clan della Grande Orsa (Clan of the Great She Bear) cooperated with world famous artists such as Carlos Nuñez. This year they had the great honour to produce the Celtica 2011 promotional video soundtrack, rearranging the traditional tune from Val D’Aosta "Dansa pas desù lo fen".

Composer, harpist, experimenter, researcher, concert performer: these are the entities of the versatile creativity and artistic personality of Vincenzo Zitello,  pioneer of the Celtic Arp in Italy. Pupil of Dominig Bouchaud, Mariannig Larc’hantec and Alan Stivell with whom he perfected his technique and dedicated his study to instrumental and vocal Celtic and Bardic music (harp with metal strings), he cooperated with artists such as Franco Battiato, Roberto Mazza, Saro Cosentino, Alice, Ivano Fossati, Allen Ginsberg, Tosca, Stefano Benni, Teresa De Sio, Riccardo Tesi, Carlos Nuñez, Dan Ar Braz.

He composed for Edizioni Paoline an ”Ave Maria” which he performed live with the singer Rossana Casale, in Loreto, for Pope John Paul II, and which was then published with the Pope’s introduction in a compilation of sacred music “Laudate Domini”. On Easter 2000 the song was also released on CD by the weekly Christian Magazine Famiglia Cristiana in 200.000 copies under the title of “Musica Coeli:Concerto per il Giubileo”. He held and is still holding hundreds of concerts each year in Italy and abroad and in August 2010 he represented the Festival Celtica Valle D’Aosta at the 40th edition of the Festival Interceltique de Lorient-Bretagne (800, 000 spectators) during a concert at Palais de Congrès where he took part of the commission of the 3rd CAMAC Trophy, an international challenge of Celtic music harpist.

Nowadays is considered a friend of Celtica with his presence since the very first edition. He always achieves to move the strings of our hearts together with the strings of his harps. At Celtica 2011 he will present his new work  titled “TALISMANO”, his eighth album release entierly played with his brand new Bardic harps with metal strings.