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Winter School is a rare opportunity to learn from some of the best players and the most creative instructors of Celtic music, while spending time in community with fellow musicians and music appreciators.
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Winter School is one of the flagship programs of the Celtic Arts Foundation. Each year, we bring some of the world’s most accomplished Celtic musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and the US to teach aspiring musicians. The Winter School is opportunity to learn tunes from some of the best players and the most creative instructors of Celtic music, while spending time in community with fellow musicians and music appreciators, to be inspired, and just have fun! The schedule includes group classes, evening sessions and ceilidhs, and more. We welcome all ages to participate in the program. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian. Adults and kids attend classes together as groups are based on speed of learning and not age. Winter School classes are not designed for those who are complete beginners on their instrument, but rather continuing learners who want to expand their knowledge and skill.
Winter School takes place at Seabeck Conference Center in Seabeck, WA. All housing and classrooms are on-campus and walkable. Students have the option of selecting one of three types of housing packages:
There is not a no room + no meals option. Students can make requests for specific houses and/or rooms using our tiered housing options. The Celtic Arts Foundation will do all we can to meet these requests, although we cannot guarantee them. Priority for housing requests is granted in order of student registration; early registration is encouraged for students with specific requests.
Seabeck can accommodate a limited number of specialty diets: vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, and non-Celiac gluten free. Please note that Seabeck is also a completely nut free facility. Students will indicate any dietary restrictions during the checkout process. For students with allergies or dietary restrictions not listed above, options exist for storage of food brought from home. Chaperones who are not attending classes can register to accompany a student at a reduced rate. Email Cayley@CelticArts.org for pricing.
Early arrival is available for some programs, and includes one additional night of lodging at Seabeck. This add-on is for accommodation only, costs $140, and no meals or programing will be provided on that day. Early arrival is not available for all programs and housing options.
Students have the option of paying for Winter School over three installments if preferred. All payments must be completed before the first day of Winter School; exact installment dates can be determined between the Celtic Arts Foundation and the student. If you would like to pay in installments, please follow the invoice instructions described above in the Scholarship section, and contact Roberta Bjorling (Roberta@CelticArts.org or 360-416-4934) to arrange payment details.
Winter School t-shirts and hoodies are available for pre-order during registration. We won’t be printing any extra, so this is your only chance to order one! You will be asked for your shirt size during check-out. A limited selection of other Celtic Arts Foundation merchandise including mugs, hats, and pins will be available for purchase at Winter School. Cash, check, or card are accepted for any merchandise purchases made at Winter School.
A concert featuring many of the Winter School Highland Pipes, Drums, Scottish Fiddle, Accompaniment, and Smallpipes instructors will take place on Friday, February 7th at 7:30PM at the Edmonds Center for the Arts in Edmonds, WA. New this year, students will be in charge of purchasing their own tickets to this concert if they would like to attend. Students and guests of students will receive a heavily-discounted special rate, and the chance to pick their own seats through the Edmonds Center for the Arts website.
Registration opens on August 26th.
Please note that by registering to Winter School, you are agreeing to our waiver and policies. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the Celtic Arts Foundation at 360-416-4934 or events@celticarts.org. Registration ends on December 31st, 2024.
Please scroll down for more information on scholarships, transportation, and other helpful details!
All Winter School activities take place at the Seabeck Conference Center in Seabeck, WA. Once you arrive at Seabeck you will not need a vehicle. Here is a more in-depth look at transportation to and from Winter School in Seabeck, WA, and to and from the Masters of Scottish Arts Concert in Edmonds, WA.
Seabeck Conference Center: 13395 Lagoon Dr NW, Seabeck, WA 98380
This information is for those flying in to Seattle and then heading directly to Winter School. Please note that if you are flying in the day before your program starts, that lodging at Seabeck may not be available. If you indicated ‘Early Arrival’ on your registration we will do our best to accommodate that request.
If you are not renting a car, there is a shuttle called the Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter that leaves from the Seatac Airport and will take you to Silverdale, WA. You can’t make reservations on this shuttle in this direction, but this is the best option. You can find more details and a timetable for that on their website. When you arrive in Silverdale, you can take a 15-minute taxi or Uber to Seabeck Conference Center.
If you are renting a car, you can put Seabeck Conference Center, 13395 Lagoon Dr. NW, Seabeck, WA 98380 into your map (about 1.5 hours of driving).
If your early arrival request is not possible for us to grant (this is based on housing availability), then we recommend staying the night in Silverdale (the shuttle drops folks of at the Best Western Plus Silverdale Beach Hotel). Then doing the taxi or Uber in the morning, or driving if you have a car.
This information is for those departing Winter School and heading directly to Seatac airport. Please note that different programs end at different times, feel free to reach out to Cayley@CelticArts.org if you have questions about the schedule.
There is a shuttle called the Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter that leaves from Silverdale and heads to the Seatac Airport every day. We recommend making reservations on this shuttle in this direction. You can find more details and a timetable for that on their website. You can take a 15-minute taxi or Uber to the Best Western Plus Silverdale Beach Hotel in Silverdale, WA from Seabeck Conference Center to catch the shuttle.
This information is for those who are in the Highland Pipes & Drums program and are leaving Winter School to attend the Masters of Scottish Arts (MSA) concert in Edmonds, WA on Friday, February 7th.
If you are driving, you can drive from Seabeck Conference Center to the Kingston ferry terminal in about 45 minutes. You are not able to make reservations on this ferry, but you can see the timetable by clicking here. We recommend arriving to the terminal with plenty of time to spare. The ferry takes 30 minutes to cross and you’ll be 5 minutes away from the Edmonds Center for the Arts (concert venue) when you get off the ferry.
If you do not have a car, you can take the Winter School shuttle from Seabeck Conference Center to the Edmonds Center for the Arts (please purchase tickets in advance). This departs from Seabeck around 1pm and arrives in Edmonds around 3:30pm. You’ll have plenty of time to wander around Edmonds and get something to eat before the concert.
This information is for those who are attending the Masters of Scottish Arts (MSA) concert in Edmonds on Friday, February 7th, and then heading to Seabeck Conference Center that night.
If you are driving, you can catch the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston. You cannot make reservations on this ferry so we recommend getting there a bit early. The last ferry is usually around 11pm, but check out the timetable here. Once you get of in Kingston, you’ll drive 45 minutes to Seabeck Conference Center. Please note that if you this is the day before your program starts, that lodging at Seabeck may not be available. If you indicated ‘Early Arrival’ on your registration we will do our best to accommodate that request. If Seabeck lodging is not available that night, you can also stay in Edmonds or Silverdale that night and drive to Seabeck in the morning.
If you are not driving and need help getting from the MSA to Seabeck, you can take the Winter School shuttle from Edmonds to Seabeck (please purchase tickets in advance). Note that if you this is the day before your program starts, that lodging at Seabeck may not be available. If you indicated ‘Early Arrival’ on your registration we will do our best to accommodate that request. If Seabeck lodging is not available that night, you can also get a ride to a hotel in Silverdale that night, and get a taxi or Uber to Seabeck in the morning.
This information is for those who are attending the Masters of Scottish Arts concert in Edmonds on Friday, February 7th, and need to get to the Seatac airport without a car. Please purchase a ticket on the Winter School shuttle bus that will depart the Edmonds Center for the Arts at 11:30pm and drive to the Radisson Seattle Airport, arriving around 12:30am. The Radisson has a free shuttle that goes between the hotel and the Seatac airport terminal which is convenient for those departing the next day. The address of the Radisson Seattle Airport Hotel is: 18118 International Blvd, Seattle, WA 98188.
The Celtic Arts Foundation is pleased to offer a limited number of scholarships for Winter School 2025. If you are in need of financial assistance to attend, we hope you will apply for a scholarship using the following form. Please read the following guidelines before applying for a scholarship to Winter School:
Scholarship applications will open September 1st.
The Winter School prides itself on the variety of demographic groups represented at each session. In 2008, a scholarship fund was created in memory of Mr. Jay Johnson. Mr. Johnson was a Spokane, WA native and keen adult-learner of the Great Highland Bagpipe. This scholarship is awarded at Winter School, made available for the following year’s tuition and room and board. The Celtic Arts Foundation continues raising funds and soliciting contributions to grow the Jay Johnson Scholarship Fund to a $20,000-$30,000 level, which will generate one full-tuition, room and board scholarship each year.
In 2013 a new Winter School Piping Scholarship was created in honor of the late Jeremiah MacKay, a piper and Sheriff Deputy in California who was tragically killed in the line of duty. The Jeremiah MacKay Scholarship is a full scholarship that is awarded with a preference to individuals actively involved in public safety or military service.
In 2017, a Winter School Smallpipe Scholarship was established by Mr. Joe Roberts, called the Fred Morrison Smallpipe Scholarship, which is scholarship for smallpipe student awarded based on merit and need.
The Mike Yachanin Memorial Scholarship was established in 2022 to honor Mike’s legacy and presence in the piping community. It is awarded to a piping student who is either school-aged or a veteran, and is a full scholarship for the Highland Pipes program.
The Emerald Isle Scholarship was established in 2018 by Irish culture enthusiasts and is a full scholarship for either uilleann pipes, smallpipes or fiddle.
The Maureen Lee Scholarship was established in 2019 to honor Maureen’s legacy in the Pacific Northwest Celtic community and is a full scholarship for Highland pipes.
The Jerry Holland Memorial Scholarship is in honor of the late, great Cape Breton fiddling master. This scholarship, established in 2017 for fiddling, is sponsored by anonymous donors. The Jerry Holland scholarship is based entirely on merit and is annually awarded to outstanding fiddlers to attend the Winter School Scottish fiddle program.
The Celtic Arts Foundation Scholarships are need-based scholarships, focused on helping young students who may not otherwise be able to attend because of financial circumstances.
