Welcome to Winter School!
Winter School is an opportunity to learn tunes and technique from some of the best players and the most inspiring instructors of Scottish music, spending time in community with fellow musicians and music appreciators, and just have fun!
The Chanter Weekend is a two-night program at Winter School that will take place concurrently with the Piobaireachd program and Kids Weekend. Students arrive on Friday afternoon (January 30th) and the program begins with dinner on Friday night. The weekend will include multiple group classes, individual work, and fun evening gatherings. Classes end on Sunday, February 1st noon.
This program is best-suited to those with one year of chanter experience or more. Please contact Cayley@CelticArts.org if you have questions about a student’s level.
Program Details
Housing
Housing at Seabeck Conference Center is in a variety of buildings around campus. Lodging, dining, and classrooms are all walkable. Each room will have shared bathroom facilities, and single (private room with one bed) or shared (room with 2-3 beds) rooms are available.
Meals
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.
Pricing
Prices for the Chanter Weekend include tuition, housing, and meals: $370
If you are interested in a no-housing option (still includes meals and tuition), please contact Cayley@CelticArts.org
Transportation
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. If you are flying in, the nearest airport is SeaTac, a 1.5 hour drive away. From the SeaTac airport you can take the Kitsap Airporter Shuttle to the Silverdale drop-off point, and a 15-minute taxi from Silverdale to Seabeck.
Winter School Scholarships
We are pleased to be able to offer a limited number of scholarships to help offset the costs of traveling to and participating in Winter School. Click here for more information on scholarships.
Payment Installments
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 Merchandise
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.
Registration
Please note that by registering to Winter School, you are agreeing to our waiver and policies. Registration opens August 25th. Cancellations made before December 31st, 2025 will receive a full refund minus a $35 administrative fee. Cancellations made between January 1st, 2026 and January 20th, 2026 will receive a 50% refund of the payments made, minus a $35 administrative fee. Cancellations made after January 20th, 2026 cannot be refunded.