Laoise Kelly

Laoise Kelly is a traditional Irish music composer and harpist. She won the 2020 Musician of the Year Award.

Laoise Kelly
Born
Westport, Co. Mayo
NationalityIrish
Known forHarp

Biography

Laoise Kelly is from Westport, County Mayo. Kelly learned music from her father and began learning the harp from when she was 12. She learned from Ann-Marie Scanlon and Kim Fleming as well as John Hoban. Kelly has been described as the "most significant harper of her generation". She has founded a number of groups including Bumblebees and Fiddletree with whom she has several albums each. She has also recorded albums with a wide variety of Irish artists including Uilleann piper Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn, The Chieftains, Sharon Shannon, Mary Black, Dónal Lunny, Kate Bush, Christy Moore and American musician Tim O’Brien. She also tours with pipers, fiddlers and singers.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Kelly lives on Achill Island and was involved in founding the new Achill International Harp Festival. Kelly is also a composer and has written music for The Abbey, Dublin and the National Theatre of Scotland when they worked together on Theatre Gu Leòr’s Scotties. She's also worked as the musical director for theatre productions which took part in the Edinburgh festival. She has won three all-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil harp competitions and the O’Carolan Harp Festival.[1][2][8][9][10][7]

Kelly has performed on TV and radio as well as for heads of state. She represented Ireland at the World Harp Festival in Paraguay.[1][11][7]

Awards

Albums
Bumblebees
  • Bumblebees (1997)
  • Buzzin (1999)
Solo
  • Just Harp (1999)
  • Ceis (2010)
  • Fáilte Uí Cheallaigh (2015)
with Tiarnan Ó Duinnchinn
  • Ar Lorg na Laochra, (2016)
with Michelle O’Brien
  • The Wishing Well (2010)

References and sources
  1. "Laoise Kelly (harp)". Maynooth University. 2019-11-28. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  2. "Laoise Kelly Awarded TG4 Gradam Ceoil". The Journal of Music: Irish Music News, Reviews & Podcasts, Plus Music Jobs & Opportunities.
  3. Falvey, Deirdre; Dervan, Michael; Siggins, Lorna (2013-03-21). "Laoise Kelly". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  4. marty (2020-01-08). "Trad Week 2020 presents quintessential Irish sounds". Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  5. "Westport's Laoise Kelly named TG4's 'Musician of the Year'". Midwest Radio. 2019-11-13. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  6. "Laoise Kelly Irish Harper". Information about visiting Achill Island, Co.Mayo ,Ireland. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  7. McMillen, Robert (2020-01-10). "Trad/roots: Gradam Ceoil TG4 Musician of the Year Laoise Kelly talks harp". The Irish News. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  8. "Achill International Harp Festival – 23-26 October 2020".
  9. "MusicLee.ie". MusicLee.ie. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  10. "We won't harp on, but there's great trad to be had this weekend". The Irish Times. 2013-03-21. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  11. "The Rolling Wave Sunday 16 February 2020 - The Rolling Wave". RTÉ Radio 1. 2020-02-16. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
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