About us
Ingel Baaijens
is from.Zeeland and has been playing the harp since childhood. The harp ensemble he played in, wich also included his sister, was very succesful. It was an older brother who had done an internship in Wales and brought back folk music that sparked Ingel 's interest in Celtic folk music.
For love, Ingel moved to the north of the Netherlands. There, he seamlessly joined an active folk scene.His former harp teacher donated a Celtic harp, enabling Ingel to take up music again with great enthusiasm. He is a familiar face at Irish sessions and various music projects, particularly in Groningen, Dwingeloo, Meppel andDrachten.
In addition to his extensive experience, Ingel has built up a broad repertoire. He selects the finest pieces of Celtic music and performs them with the appropriate ornamentation and chords. As an eager and passionate musician, Ingel draws inspiration from folk musicians around the world and inspires others in turn. He brings Irish, Breton, Scottish and medieval music to life.
Hilke Broodtaerts
is Flemish and has been playing the violin since childhood. Growing up in a musical family, she was exposed to classical and folk music from an early age. Her mother, for example, listened to Irish folk music. At one point, her sister immersed herself in the Irish language, music and culture. This also took root in Hilke on a subconscious level.
When she moved to the north of the Netherlands for love, an uncle donated a Prague violin, wich she still plays today. Hilke perfomed briefly in a classical orchestra and tried her hand at klezmer music in a duo witj an accordionist.
Although she regularly visited Irish pubs in Groningen, it was 'nt until years later that she actively participayed in the sessions at O' Ceallaigh 's pub. Unexpectedly, she met a Frisian bagpipe player who inspired her to explore Scottish tunes. Together with him and two other talented musicians, she formed the band An Sítheán.
The Celtic spark has now caught on, and she is a well known figure in the folk scene in northern Netherlands.Through her fiddling, she aims to get people dancing and touch their hearts with her ornamentations and rhythm.
Erik de Jong
is a versatile multi-instrumentalist who specialises in Western European folk music on the piano accordion. He has been playing this instrument since 1993. He loves playing Irish and Scottish music the most, but also enjoys French and Flemish balfolk. He also enjoys venturing into Eastern European music, such as klezmer and other Balkan styles. In 2009, he set up his freelance music business, withe the website www.folkmuzikant.nl
As well as the piano accordion, he has also taken up other instruments over the years, including the Itmrish tin whistle, bodhrán ( Celtic drum) and hurdy-gurdy.
He also provides some of the vocals. Together with Rozanne Ebenau, he forms the duo 'Folkus'. In 2024, this duo began collaberating with Cláirhlín. Nowadays, they also perform as a quartet under the same name, with an extensive and unique range of instruments.
Rozanne Ebenau
has been involved with music since early childhood. She started playing the piano, accordion and guitar before moving on to the saxophone and flute, and finally the traditional Irish Anglo concertina. Of all the musicians in Cláirhlín, she has the most diverse range of instruments on stage: flute, guitar, concertina and vocals.
Although she still enjoys playing classical music, her initial style, in 2019 she also began exploring folk music of all kinds, such as klezmer and Balkan music, as well as Irish and Scottish music. This genre has become more prominent in recent years, partly because she has started playing in Irish sessions and now performs with various folk ensembles, including Cláirhlín.