April 23-25, 2027 in Altoona, PA
Have any questions? Email us at info@ukulelesoiree.com
Hello, it's me...The Ukulele Teacher!
Back in 2011 I started making YouTube videos on my old iPhone 3 as a joke to pass the time. Over a decade later I'm still making videos - but I now have over 1.4 million subscribers, have worked with the likes of Barclaycard and McDonald's, recorded with Mark Ronson at Abbey Road Studios, been invited to the Brit Awards, and wrote a song about tuna sandwiches for Dick n Dom.
Curt Sheller's primary focus since 2003 has been performing jazz and contemporary music using the ukulele as his principal instrument, as well as presenting workshops and performing at various ukulele festivals throughout the year.
Ray Cygrymus has taught elementary school music for over thirty years, most recently specializing in ukulele instruction in the classroom. He has lived in the Pittsburgh area his entire life, and attended Duquesne University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, with an emphasis on voice.
Chrissy is an international performer and Kanile'a Ukulele endorsed artist, singer/songwriter, film composer, and educator. She has headlined festivals including the Melbourne Ukulele Festival and The Gaithersburg Ukulele Festival. She has scored the music for two award-winning feature films: Highest Point (with Bernard De La Cour) and With Flying Colours (with Liam Fox O’Brien).
Award winning artist and Maui, HI native Neal Chin, has been both an ‘ukulele educator and performer over the course of his musical career of 19 years. His clear and direct enthusiasm for music has come to life in countless workshops, concerts, and private instruction. While his heart is in jazz, Neal has played with many musicians of different genres including Hawaiian, folk, rock, and hip-hop.
Melanie Ramsey is the former Children's Librarian at Hollisdaysburg Area Public Library and the current Director of Community Relations for the Borough of Hollidaysburg. Melanie is a classically-trained violist and plays with the Altoona Symphony Orchestra and pit orchestras throughout the area. She also teaches private viola, violin, and ukulele lessons. Melanie sits on the Board of many local organizations, including the Allegheny Ukulele Kollective.
Adam Beiswenger has decades of experience in stage hand work in the theatre, and brings expert knowledge to the setup and day-to-day runnings of the festival!
Ed works in Human Resources Information Technology and has been playing music since he was young, He has played piano, guitar, and ukulele over the years, recently returning to music via his daughter learning ukulele. In addition to music, he enjoys tinkering with instruments and electronics and spends many weekends volunteering as an Adult Leader for Moraine Trails Council BSA.
Amber Rozel has been teaching musicians of all ages for over 20 years. She has been making the magic happen on ukulele for 5 years and recently received the coveted Level 3 Teachers Certificate from the JHUI program. She performs with regional orchestras, the Bay Chamber Players, her (new!) band Evergreen Road, and with anyone that wants to have fun.
Mike Holzer is a serial hobbyist who came down with a terrible case of UAS. Mike has been playing since 2012 and is a co-founder of the Allegheny Ukulele Soirée. Mike acts as both the Festival Director of the Allegheny Ukulele Soiree and as the "chief uke evangelist" of the Allegheny Ukulele Kollective. Mike has taught basic ukulele skills to hundreds of people over the years.
Highly recommended. This year was my first, I will be back and I will bring more people with me next year!
Everyone was friendly and encouraging. The level of the entertainment and instruction was top notch! I am looking forward to returning!
Great people, great fun, great workshops, Great jams and amazing organizers.
Always a great gathering of the ukulele community…a lot to learn and a lot of fun doing it!
An outstanding festival for ukulele players, both beginners and experienced. The ability to interact face-to-face with the amazing guest performers, other uke players, and vendors was invaluable.
The Soirée should win an award for the best organized ukulele festival!
The Soiree is a great program to attend. It is well organized, with a great deal of expertise, thoughtful planning and reasonable fees. Well seasoned presenters make the sessions productive and organized!
Top notch! Fantastic instructors! Very enthusiastic, informative and knowledgeable. Superb presentations. I learned so much this weekend
The Allegheny [Ukulele] Soirée is a ukulele smorgasbord...something for every age, talent level, social class...my friends are there
This festival is well run, feels intimate, and really helped grow my skills and push me to be a better player. I love the teaching artists, and the jams were fun!
