NEWS + UPDATES
Yukon Musicians at Folk Alliance International 2025!

Yukon Musicians at Folk Alliance International 2025!
Five Yukon artists are making their way to Montreal to take in all that Folk Alliance International (FAI) has to offer, and they’ll represent the Yukon, showing off incredible skills and talent from our territory!
Music Yukon is proud to host a one-night-only amplified private showcase room. We look forward to dazzling conference delegates with a line-up of all Northern talent – along with a little support from some Alaskan pals!
Music Yukon & Friends – Saturday, February 22 ONLY!
Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel – Room #818
10:30pm – Jasmine Netsena
11:10pm – Kim Beggs
Midnight – Declan O’Donovan
12:45am – Brigitte Jardin
1:30am – Ryan McNally
2:15am – Shake City String Band (AK)
Check out the scoop on these incredible Yukon artists, and take a peek at all their showcase schedules (official and private) below!
Official Showcase:
Wednesday, February 19 at 9:00pm, Salon ABC – 2nd Floor
Declan O’Donovan’s music feels as much about emotion and immersion as anything easily traceable to an influence. Within the first bars of hearing Declan play, the precious, transcendent connection between music and human emotion is ignited… The beautiful melancholy of O’Donovan’s piano and the raw poetic rhythm of his voice is soul-stirring. He’s currently recording a fourth solo album while continuing to tour in support of his most recent, 2023’s quiet masterpiece ‘Amok’.
Private Showcases:
Wednesday February 19: 10:45pm – Montreal Room, #1014
Thursday, February 20: 10:45pm – Folk Canada Showcase, #820 / 12:05am – Montreal Room, #1014
Friday, February 21: 11:00pm – Montreal Room , #1014
Saturday, February 22: 11:00pm – Alaska Room – #1018 / Midnight – Music Yukon & Friends, #818
Photo credit: Richmond Lam
Official Showcase: Friday, February 21 at 9:15pm, East – Level 4
Music is Jasmine Netsena’s first language. From the age of five, the award-winning singer-songwriter, who is of the Tahltan and Dene Nations in Canada’s subarctic, learned to sing from her grandparents in their Indigenous languages. Netsena’s music, rooted in love, loss and tradition, blends poetic storytelling with a soulful sound.
Netsena’s first record Take You With Me was a personal journey built from her folk, blues and country music she was raised on, earning her the 2014 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award for Best Folk/Acoustic Album and a nomination for Indigenous Songwriter of the Year from the Canadian Folk Music Awards. After a decade-long hiatus focused on family, Netsena’s forthcoming sophomore album comes with a fresh sound, shifting from roots-country to vintage soul.
Private Showcases:
Thursday, February 20: 11:00pm – Alaska Room, #1018
Saturday, February 22: 10:30pm – Music Yukon & Friends, #818
English: Brigitte Jardin weaves an authentic country sound tapestry. Paying tribute to gender equality, this multi-instrumentalist makes her mark with finely crafted lyrics set to the tone of a smooth Honky Tonk night.
Française: Artisane de la chanson, Brigitte Jardin crée une tapisserie sonore country authentique. Enracinée et pétillante, Jardin nous amène près des grands sourires et du bon monde, les retrouvailles, le café du matin et tout le tralala. Vous allez sentir votre corps battre la chamade au rythme country frétillant de cet artiste ensoleillée. Sautez dans le train, tombez en amour et partez en vadrouille avec Brigitte Jardin!
Private Showcases:
Friday, February 21: 12:50am – Montreal Room, #1014 / 2:00am – Alaska Room, #1018 (both technically Feb 22!)
Saturday, February 22: 12:45am – Music Yukon & Friends, #818 (technically Feb 23!)
Official Showcase:
Thursday, February 20 at 6:45pm, Jarry – Level A
Kim Beggs delivers a heartfelt darkness in a beautiful, backwoods beat driven performance. Sincere, vulnerable, clear eyed, tough, “Beggs observes the world with acute vision, clearly placing her convictions on the side of humanity”.
Nominated for multiple music awards including Canadian Folk Music, Western Canadian Music and Independent Music (USA) awards – and more – for all six of her solo albums, Beggs celebrates 2 decades of music and the release of her 7th solo album, Beneath Your Skin (Sept 2024).
Kim Beggs has toured Canada, USA, England, Denmark and her goals at FAI include touring Australia, and returning to the UK and Europe.
Private Showcases:
Wednesday, February 19: 1:05am – Montreal Room, #1014
Thursday, February 20: 10:50pm – Badass Women Showcase, #806 / 1:30am – Singalongs Only (ITR), #1006 (technically Feb 21!)
Friday, February 21: 11:00pm – Alaska Room (ITR), #1018 / 2:30am – Richard Flohil & VK Artists, #1017 (technically Feb 22!)
Saturday, February 22: 11:10pm – Music Yukon & Friends, #818
While he’s best known for his interpretive playing of traditional acoustic blues and old time music, audiences can’t help but notice the influence that Northern living has had on his musical style. For the past 15 years, McNally has called Whitehorse, YT his home.
Originally from rural southern Quebec, Ryan first discovered jazz and blues by uncovering a huge collection of ’78 records that belonged to his grandfather. Then, as a teen, his curiosity for the sound and history anchored his love for the genres and it’s only grown stronger since.
McNally has become known for his diversity as a multi-instrumentalist. He plays guitar, harmonica, mandolin, violin and banjo, all in many different styles. Whether performing solo or with his band, his music is grounded in the legacy of the generations of players that came before him. All the while he continues to push the boundaries of his own signature sound.
Private Showcases:
Friday, February 21: 10:55pm – Tractorgrease, #1026 / 12:30am – Folkin’ Genius Lounge by Woodstove Music & Arts Festival, #915 (technically Feb 22!)
Saturday, February 22: 11:00pm – Montreal Room, #1014 / 1:30am – Music Yukon & Friends, #818 / 2:10am – The Traditional Music Room #912 (technically Feb 23!)
Music Yukon’s activity is made possible through the operational support from Yukon Government’s Yukon Media Development and FACTOR Canada.
Artist Spotlight
Album Spotlight
Latest News

Yukon Musicians at Folk Alliance International 2025!

Arts in the Park 2025 Call for Artists!

Jazz Yukon: Learn to Swing Jam and the Basics of Improvisation Workshop Series

Pitching Your Music to Media with Aisling Murphy
