Solas Nua 20th Anniversary Celebration: A Kick Off Event with Live Music + Our Annual Book Day Tradition of Free Irish Literature
Sunday, March 16th, 2025
Doors open at 5:00pm and the event begins at 6:00pm.
LOCATION: Howard Theatre (620 T Street NW, Washington D.C., 20001)
PRICE: Admission is free, on a first come, first served basis while capacity permits. RSVP does not guarantee entry.
Please note that this is event is standing room only. There is limited seating available on a first come, first served basis.
Come celebrate the launch of Solas Nua’s 20th anniversary season with live music, Irish literature, and a special theatrical experience!
Our 20th anniversary party will kick-off a year of celebrating Solas Nua's two decade history of platforming new Irish arts. Overlapping with our annual tradition of Irish Book Day, this event will take place on St. Patrick’s Weekend - and we want you there! The event will include live Irish music, theatrical monologues, poetry readings, and more. Doors will open at 5:00 pm and music begins at 6:00 pm. The event is free with registration. Space is limited, so RSVP here before it sells out!
This celebration party coincides with our annual Irish Book Day: a tradition where we hand out free Irish Literature on St. Patrick’s Day. This year, we're partnering with Stinging Fly, a literary magazine and publisher based in Dublin that is a leading voice in new Irish writing, to give out the latest issue of its magazine.
“Over the years, we’ve proudly built a legacy of commissioning and supporting the rich legacy of new Irish arts. As we celebrate this milestone, we look forward to the next 20 years of growth, collaboration, and continuing to champion the voices of new Irish artists.” - Solas Nua Executive Director, Andrew Dolan
Mike Winch is a lifelong Irish fiddle player, composer, and sound designer living in DC. He plays with his family and occasionally with the Marylander folk-group Wicked Sycamore. Mike has a BA in music from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and an MFA in sound design from Yale school of Drama (now David Geffen school of Drama). Mike is a company member of Solas Nua and Pointless Theater co, and has four Helen Hayes nominations for sound design and music direction (Solas Nua: Frederick Douglass Project, How to Keep an Alien, Pointless: Doctor Caligari, King Ubu).
Eileen Estes is a highly accomplished Irish-American musician, singer, composer, and educator specializing in traditional Irish and Scottish music, as well as contemporary and folk genres. With a lifetime immersed in the music of her heritage, Eileen’s expertise is further enriched by her vocal training and extensive experience as both a performer and teacher. She is a member of two Baltimore-based bands: Celtic Corridor (with Billy McComiskey, Donna Long, Laura Byrne, and Joanna Clare) and The Good Folk (with Agi Kovacs, Brendan Hearn, Meghan Mette, and Patrick Winch).
Patrick Winch is an Irish tenor banjo and guitar player residing in Washington, D.C. Growing up, Patrick was surrounded by traditional Irish music, mainly due to the fact that his father, Jesse Winch, is a renowned Irish traditional musician himself. In the late 1970s, Jesse co-founded the award-winning Irish traditional band “Celtic Thunder” alongside close friends and family. During his undergraduate years, Patrick decided to take up the tenor banjo himself and dive headfirst into the world of Irish music. In 2023, the Winches released their debut family album "The Irish Riviera." Patrick also plays and performs with his band “The Good Folk” alongside Eileen Estes, Meghan Mette, Agi Kovacs, and Brendan Hearn, and they are preparing to release their debut album. These days, you can find Patrick at sessions and gigs up and down the east coast.
