CAMDEN — Fans of traditional Irish music are invited to kick off the St. Patrick’s Day weekend Friday night, March 15, at 7:30 p.m., at the Camden Opera House, 29 Elm Street.

Button accordion player Dan Possumato, of Brunswick, will join forces with Belfast’s Jim Hyland on guitar, fiddle and vocals for a holiday SoundCheck concert.

Dan Possumato was born in Pittsburgh and has lived around the country and overseas, always finding an Irish music community to share his love of traditional tunes. Possumato plays the button accordion in the old “push and draw” manner once popular in the counties of Cork and Kerry. He has collaborated with renowned fiddlers Kevin Burke and Seamus McGuire to produce four albums, tracks from which find frequent airplay on Irish radio.  
 
Jim Hyland is a stalwart of the Irish music scene in Belfast, Maine, and is regarded as one of the best guitar accompanists in New England, according to the Opera House, in a news release.

“He also is an excellent fiddler and captivating singer,” said COH. 
 
The SoundCheck series offers hour-long performances that are recorded for later posting on the opera house’s YouTube Channel. Choose-your-own reserved tickets are just $10 at camdenoperahouse.com. Doors and box office open at 7 p.m.  
 
Tickets also are available for the March 22 concert by the Eileen Ivers Band, acclaimed for bringing traditional Irish music to the 21st-century World Music scene.