Eileen Ivers
From her star musical turn in "Riverdance" and her 30-plus medals in the All-Ireland Championships to her session work and appearances with such diverse artists and ensembles as Paula Cole, The Chieftains and the Boston Pops Orchestra, Eileen Ivers has established herself as the world's pre-eminent exponent of the Irish fiddle. Backed by her brilliantly versatile band, she creates programs that showcase a unique Irish-fusion sound, drawing upon a wide range of musical styles while remaining true to Celtic traditions. Whether with symphony orchestra or in her own shows, Eileen's personality and virtuosity ensure that her band "rocks the house everywhere it plays" (The Boston Globe).
A founding member of the all-woman folk group Cherish the Ladies, Eileen Ivers has toured the world to great acclaim, not only with "Riverdance" and Cherish the Ladies, but as a featured player with such popular contemporary performers as The Hothouse Flowers, Luka Bloom and Patti Smith, and with her own band. Her recording credits include appearances on more than 75 contemporary and traditional albums and numerous movie scores. In recent seasons Eileen has performed with the London Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Indianapolis Symphony and the Nashville Symphony, among other ensembles. She has also toured throughout Europe, the United States, Russia, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, Mexico and the Caribbean, and has made numerous appearances on network television both in the United States and elsewhere.
In 1999 Eileen Ivers released a solo recording on Sony Classical, "Crossing the Bridge," which blends her Irish-based fusion style with the sounds of an array of celebrated world-music performers, including John Doyle and Seamus Egan of Sol�s, Bakithi Kumalo (heard on Paul Simon's "Graceland" album), Joanie Madden of Cherish the Ladies, and jazz artists Eddie Gomez and Randy Brecker. Frank McCourt, author of "Angela's Ashes," called the recording "startling in its geographic variety: Spain, Africa, West Indies, Cuba and Ireland, always Ireland." In 1998 Eileen appeared on Sony Classical's "Back to Titanic," an album that features original film music not included on the first "Titanic" album, as well as new versions of pieces from James Horner's Oscar-winning score and compositions based on "Titanic" themes.
Born in an Irish community in The Bronx, New York, Eileen Ivers began playing the fiddle at the age of 8 and eventually studied with famed Limerick-born fiddler Martin Mulvihill. Along with her 30 medals, she won seven All-Ireland fiddle titles and an eighth on the tenor banjo, establishing her as the most awarded competitor ever in the All-Ireland Championships. She graduated with honors from Iona College and continued on to post-graduate work in the field of mathematics.
For more information about Eileen Ivers, visit her website at www.eileenivers.com.