Cambridge nonprofit Passim recently announced the full round of inaugural recipients of the Brian O’Donovan Legacy Fund grants, which support Celtic music and dance artists. The $2,500 awards go to funding live shows and tours in New England, with one grant earmarked for bringing an act to Passim’s Boston Celtic Music Festival (BCMFest). 

The fund, established by the O’Donovan family, honors the longtime host of the GBH radio show “A Celtic Sojourn” for his significant contributions to Passim and the New England Celtic music community.

Last fall, Rakish – the Boston-based duo of Maura Shawn Scanlin and Conor Hearn, who met while attending college in the area – received a grant and appeared at the 22nd annual BCMFest (held Jan. 16-19) as the Brian O’Donovan Legacy Artist. 

Some of the other grant recipients also have past or present ties to Greater Boston and New England:

Eight Feet Tall is the quartet of Irish dance performers Jackie O’Riley and Rebecca McGowan, accordionist Dan Accardi, and fiddler/vocalist Armand Aromin, all of whom have long been active in Boston’s Celtic music scene. The group is known for its in-depth exploration of the relationship between music and dance, featuring complex sonic textures and vibrant visual interplay which sit firmly within the bounds of tradition while continually testing those bounds.

San Miguel Fraser is the duo of fiddlers Galen Fraser – a graduate of the Berklee College of Music – and María San Miguel, whose sound and style represents a dynamic fusion of Castilian and Celtic traditions. 

Reverie Road features two members of the recently revived supergroup Solas, Winifred Horan (fiddle) and John Williams (accordion) as well as ex-Gaelic Storm fiddler Katie Grennan and pianist Utsav Lal, who collaborated with local Celtic musicians while studying at New England Conservatory. The quartet leavens its strong traditional Irish character with influences from France, Shetland and chamber music, among others.

Brenda Castles, a concertina and whistle player from Co. Meath, has performed in the Boston area, including at the Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day “Celtic Sojourn” productions and the Boston College Gaelic Roots series. Born into a musical family, she earned All-Ireland Fleadh titles in solo and group competitions, has two albums to her credit, and even produced a short film, “Plight of the Bumblebee,” for which she composed a traditionally inspired soundtrack.

Canadian band Kavaz derives its name from a Breton word meaning “junction,” which speaks to the union of their respective geographical and cultural backgrounds – Isaac Beaudet Lefebvre, violin (Quebec); Everest Witman, guitar, bass, accordion (Vermont); François-Xavier Dueymes, flutes (Brittany) – combined with a mutual love of Irish music.

The recipients were announced at the BCMFest Nightcap finale concert in Somerville Theatre on Jan. 18. Headlined by the Celtic group Dervish, the evening included a special tribute to O’Donovan from his wife Lindsay, Rakish, fiddler Hanneke Cassel, and other members of the music community. 

“We’re thrilled to continue Brian O’Donovan’s legacy of uplifting artists and celebrating the rich traditions of Celtic music through these grants,” said Passim Club Manager Abby Altman in a press release announcing the grant winners. “Through this fund, we support artists who continue to share and evolve the music he loved so dearly. We are happy to fund their work and foster opportunities like BCMFest.”

More information about the Brian O’Donovan Legacy Fund is available at the Passim website.