Craig Chee & Sarah Maisel
I am so happy to be bringing Craig and Sarah back to the UK exclusively for this special event.
They are shining lights in the ukulele community and amazing people.
Craig and Sarah are world traveling performing artists, teachers, and event organizers. They have spent the past 15 years headlining Ukulele Festivals and events world wide, including Australia, The United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, China, and more! Utilizing their experiences abroad and across the United States, they have hosted multiple Ukulele Cruises and Ukulele Retreats. Their commitment to the Global Ukulele Community is unparalleled, with the creation of the first free Online Ukulele Festivals (“Not so Mini Fests”) and free Livestream workshops.
Their Online Ukulele School with Artistworks is one of their many joys, allowing them the opportunity to help students one on one with their Video Exchange program. Each year they continue to add content and musical challenges for their students in a continuation of their musical journey.
Their newest venture has lead them to founding the nonprofit Four Strings at a Time; Engaging, educating, and enriching all ages around the world through music and the ‘ukulele.
Cory Mau
It's so exciting to welcome Cory to the UK for the first time.
Cory's knowledge of Hawaiian music, history, and his amazing musicianship will delight us all.
Cory Mau is a dedicated Hawaiian musician and entertainer, as well as an ʻukulele instructor with 15 years of teaching experience. He has had the privilege of playing as one-third of the group Keʻolu for the past 11 years, sharing his love for music with audiences. Originally from the beautiful island of Oʻahu, Cory is passionate about bringing the essence of Hawaiian culture to his performances and teaching. Over the years, Cory has been invited to be an instructor at various workshops and community events, including ʻUkulele Club of Hawaiʻi, Craig and Sarah’s Annual ʻukulele retreat and most recently, the 2025 LA International 'Ukulele Festival.
In his professional life, Cory an elementary educator. He graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a bachelor’s degree in general elementary education, and then graduated in 2020 with a master’s degree in curriculum studies. When he is not playing music, Cory teaches third grade at a private school on the island of Oʻahu, sits on the board of another non-profit entitled Youth Service Hawaiʻi, and serves as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.
Jeff Peterson
Many of you will have met Jeff at our Forest Ukulele Retreats. He is a grammy award winning musician and lives and breathes Hawaiian music.
I am so pleased to welcome him back over to the UK for this special event.
Jeff Peterson’s love for sharing his musical gifts is infectious and inspiring. He is both an ukulele and guitar virtuoso, his formidable skills balanced by his soft-spoken and humble demeanor. Although he is known as one of the world’s foremost Hawaiian slack key guitarists, Peterson is dazzling in almost any musical genre, be it blues, jazz, folk, rock, classical, or fusion.
He has contributed to two Grammy Award-winning recordings and has been honored with fourteen Na Hoku Hanohano Awards in Hawaii. His solo CD Maui on My Mind was recognized as the Slack Key Album of the Year and received a Grammy nomination in 2010. His next release featured his songwriting, performing, and producing on Amy Hanaiali`i and Slack Key Masters of Hawaii. The groundbreaking recording features a collaboration between Jeff, Amy Hanaiali`i, Cyril Pahinui, Dennis Kamakahi, Sonny Lim, and Chino Montero. His next release titled Slack Key Travels includes twelve new compositions and new arrangements of classic Hawaiian songs and won the 2014 Hoku Award for Best Slack Key Album. Jeff’s solo album O’ahu won two Hoku Awards in 2016 for Slack Key Album of the Year and instrumental song of the year for the song Old Pali. His latest release Wahi Pana is a full length performance and documentary film and CD soundtrack. Jeff premiered composed and performed the first ever Concerto for Slack Key Guitar and Orchestra in 2016 with the Raleigh Civic Chamber Orchestra. The piece is featured in Wahi Pana, Songs of Place, which is a full length performance and documentary film with a CD soundtrack featuring slack key, classical, jazz, and world music along with background on Jeff’s life, music, travels, and collaborations. Current projects have included an instructional DVD on slack key guitar and the 2018 Na Hoku Hanohano Instrumental Album of the Year Across the Sea featuring Tsun Hui Hung on erhu and Greg Sardina on steel guitar. He most recent solo album Paniolo Son was awarded Slack Key Album of the year in 2024. Jeff is a 2018 Native Arts & Cultures Foundation Fellow and 2018 First People’s Fund Fellow.
Born on the Island of Maui, Jeff Peterson grew up on the slopes of Haleakala where he was introduced to the rich heritage of Hawaiian music by his father, a paniolo, or Hawaiian cowboy, on the Haleakala Ranch.
Matt Stead
My love of Hawaiian music goes back many years. After learning ukulele back in the 1990s I fell in love with the sound of Hawaiian music. Not just ukulele, but also Ki Ho 'Alu (slack key guitar), steel guitar and the beautiful falsetto voices from those far away islands.
I feel honoured and humbled to be able to welcome these great players from Hawaii and explore the rich history between our islands.
Matt Stead is one of the UK's best-known ukulele teachers, helping hundreds of thousands of players around the world discover the joy of making music. Through his online courses, live workshops and YouTube channel, Matt has built a thriving international community of learners ranging from complete beginners to experienced performers.
Known for his clear teaching style, musical knowledge, sensitive playing and genuine love of helping others, Matt has spent more than a decade making music accessible, enjoyable and rewarding. His online school, Learn Ukulele with Matt, is home to thousands of students and offers one of the most comprehensive collections of ukulele courses available anywhere.
Alongside teaching, Matt is a passionate advocate for the ukulele's rich musical heritage and its unique ability to bring people together. He regularly teaches at festivals and retreats in the UK and abroad and is the founder of the Ukulele Festival of Great Britain. Through Aloha Britain, he hopes to celebrate the deep connections between Hawaiian and British ukulele communities while creating an inspiring space where musicians can learn, connect and share their love of music.
Matt lives in the Forest of Dean with his family, where he can often be found teaching, writing, gardening or playing music with a robin watching from nearby.