The Center for Irish Music

Help us Hand Down the Tradition!

As CIM marks its 20th anniversary, the success of our mission is evident in the talent and dedication of our instructors, the inspiring musicianship of our students, and the generous support of our community. Founded by a small group of like-minded musicians, the Center for Irish Music has grown to become the center of the tradition in the Upper Midwest, serving more than 435 students every year, and putting Minnesota on the map of communities where Irish traditional music is alive and thriving.

Now beginning our third decade of “handing down the tradition,” meeting our mission means: 

• Sustaining and advancing CIM’s artistic and programmatic strengths
• Serving an increasingly diverse community of students
• Expanding new sources of revenue for future stability
• Staying connected to the living tradition 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!