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Máiréad Nesbitt

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Máiréad Nesbitt

Máiréad Nesbitt (pronounced "mah-raid") (born in Loughmore, County Tipperary, Ireland) is a Classical and Celtic music performer, most notably as a fiddler and violinist. She is currently the fiddler for the group Celtic Woman.

Background

She was born to John and Kathleen Nesbitt, both well-known music teachers. She has a sister, Frances, and four brothers, Seán, Michael, Noel and Karl, all of whom are musicians. She has been a piano player since the age of four, and began playing the violin at age six.

Her formal musical studies began at The Ursuline Convent in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Ireland, and progressed through secondary schooling at the Waterford Institute of Technology and the Cork School of Music, during which time she participated in the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland. Nesbitt completed post-graduate studies at London's Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music under Emanuel Hurwitz. [1]

Besides her family, Nesbitt has stated that her influences range from Itzhak Perlman and Michael Coleman to bluegrass artist Alison Krauss and rock's David Bowie and Sting.[2]

Career

After finishing her post-graduate studies, Nesbitt joined the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, thus beginning her professional career as a violinist at age 16.[3] She later moved into solo performances, working with a variety of performers, including Van Morrison, Clannad and Sharon Shannon. She also spent some time as fiddler for the Irish group Coolfin, and recorded an album with them.[4]

Nesbitt got her break in 1996 when she was invited to perform in the Michael Flatley show Lord of the Dance.[5] There, she played lead fiddle until 1998, at which time she went with Flatley to his second show, Feet of Flames. She toured in this production, again as lead fiddler, until leaving in 2001. Nesbitt also played on the original soundtracks to both shows, as well as for the soundtrack to Riverdance.

Nesbitt released her début solo album in 2001, Raining Up, which features a broad range of musical styles, both traditional and contemporary. The album features a number of guest performers and members of Nesbitt's own family: her mother, sister, and brothers Seán and Karl. In promotion of the album, she tours with her own band.[6]

In 2004, Nesbitt was invited to play violin for a performance at the Helix Theatre in Dublin, called Celtic Woman.[7] The popularity of this and subsequent performances on television and live albums has led to five tours across the United States. Celtic Woman has released a total of five albums to date: Celtic Woman, Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration, Celtic Woman: A New Journey, Celtic Woman: The Greatest Journey, and Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart.

Nesbitt has worked with the bhangra fusion band The Dhol Foundation on their 2005 album Drum-Believable, has composed the original music score alongside Tibor Kasza for the tour of Irish Dance Invasion, a production based in Budapest, and has played and recorded with the group Afro Celt Sound System. Nesbitt also performed privately for HRH The Princess Anne during her visit to Dublin in September 2004. The Celtic Tenors Live in Concert DVD released in 2006 also features Nesbitt on several tracks.

Nesbitt is featured as a soloist on Walt Disney's direct to DVD film Tinker Bell. Joel McNeely composed music specifically to fit Nesbitt's distinctive style, and collaborated with her to further polish the music for Celtic authenticity.[5][8]

Nesbitt is a former Fleadh Cheoil all-Ireland fiddle champion reference needed!, and was named by Irish Music Magazine as Best Traditional Female in 2003.

Currently, Nesbitt is working on a second solo album as well as an album with her very musical family.[8][9]

Discography

Filmography

References

  1. ^ Fennell, Hilary (2007). "How I got here: Playing it cool". LoadzaJobs.ie. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  2. ^ "Biography, Paragraph 1". MaireadNesbitt.com.
  3. ^ "Máiréad" bio in Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart Souvenir Program (2010), pp. 12-13 (paraphrased information appears on p. 12).
  4. ^ "Biography, Paragraph 5". MaireadNesbitt.com.
  5. ^ a b "Talk Time: Interview with Máiréad". Irish Times. Nov 1, 2008. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Unknown parameter |details= ignored (help)
  6. ^ "Active Artists: Mairead Nesbitt". ActiveEvents.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2006-08-23. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  7. ^ "Celtic Woman". MaireadNesbitt.com. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
  8. ^ a b "Celtic Woman plays two shows at Radio City this weekend". Wyckoff,_New_Jersey#Local_media. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
  9. ^ Nesbitt, Máiréad (2007). "Newsletter no. 11". MaireadNesbitt.com. Retrieved 2008-12-16. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  10. ^ a b "Recordings". MaireadNesbitt.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.

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