The young Ivers never expected to become a professional musician with numerous All-Ireland Fiddle Championships and Grammy-awarded projects under her belt-she’s a mathematician by education. Yet her unintentional career has taken her from co-founding Cherish the Ladies and touring with The Chieftains, to guest starring with acclaimed symphonies, collaborating with celebrated jazz and pop artists and her most recent televised performances with Sting.
Ivers’ expertise and artistic diversity led her to forge a new, front-and-center role for the fiddle in Celtic performance, in particular, in creating the musical star role of Riverdance.
Her own work has led her to dig deep into Irish and Celtic sounds, tracing connections between continents and scattered Celtic communities, sharing how these connections reverberate in American roots music, delving into jazz sensibilities and Grappelli-esque improvisations, and incorporating her trademark effects with her eye-catching (and ear-catching) electric violin.
Her fellow members of Immigrant Soul enrich Ivers’ open-minded, open-bordered innovation and share her passion for performance. Lead singer, percussionist, and former Blues Brother Tommy McDonnell is equally at home with the congas and the bodhrán (Irish frame drum), while bassist Leo Traversa, when not teaching at New York’s Columbia University, can be found backing Afro-Cuban and Brazilian masters.
Acoustic guitarist Greg Anderson has worked with folk legend Pete Seeger, as well as classical icon Itzhak Perlman. All-Ireland accordion champ Buddy Connolly has worked with American roots music greats Tim O’Brien and Kathy Mattea.
“The music is always the star, but we’re performing artists,” says Ivers. “It’s a balance we’ve learned to strike. It’s a privilege to be up there on stage, and we love it.”
Buy Eileen Ivers’ albums:
- In North America: Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, Wild Blue, So Far: The
Eileen Ivers Collection, Eileen Ivers, An Nollaig: An Irish Christmas,
Crossing the Bridge, Fresh Takes - In Europe: Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, Wild Blue, So Far: The Eileen Ivers Collection, Eileen Ivers, An Nollaig: An Irish Christmas, Crossing the Bridge, Fresh Takes
Eileen Ivers 2011 Tour Details
02/13/2011, Sun
Orangeburg, NY
Dominican College – Hennessy Center
470 Western Highway
Tickets: $25-35
Show: 5:00 pm
Ph: 845.848.7406
02/19/2011, Sat
Winston-Salem, NC
Reynolds Auditorium
301 N. Hawthorne Road
Tickets: $15-55
Show: 7:30 pm
Ph: 336.725.1035
* With the Winston-Salem Symphony
02/26/2011, Sat
Hyannis, MA
Barnstable Performing Arts Center
744 West Main Street
Tickets: $28-63
Show: 8:00 pm
Ph: 508.362.1111
03/05/2011, Sat
St. Joesph, MN
College of St. Benedict-Escher Auditorium
37 South College Avenue
Tickets: $10-$28
Show: 7:30 pm
Ph: 320.363.5777
* Beyond the Bog Road
03/10/2011, Thu
Louisville, KY
Kentucky Center-Bomhard Theater
501 W Main St
Tickets: $25-$30
Show: 8:00 pm
Ph: 800.775.7777
03/13/2011, Sun
Kalamazoo, MI
Western Michigan University-Miller Auditorium
1903 W Michigan Ave
Tickets: $15-$40
Show: 3:00 pm
Ph: 800.228.9858
* Beyond the Bog Road
03/17/2011, Thu
Omaha, NE
Holland Performing Arts Center, 1605 Howard St
Tickets: $20-$65
Show: 8:00 pm
Ph: 402.342.3560
* With the Omaha Symphony
03/20/2011, Sun
Decatur, IL
Millikin University-Kirkland Fine Arts Center
1184 West Main Street
Tickets: $6-$24
Show: 4:00 pm
Ph: 217.424.6318
04/16/2011, Sat
Tacoma, WA
Broadway Center for the Performing Arts
901 Broadway
Tickets: $26-$49
Show: 7:30 pm
Ph: 253.591.5890
04/17/2011, Sun
Missoula, MT
University of Montana-University Theatre
32 Campus Drive
Ph: 406.243.4051
04/19/2011, Tue
Billings, MT
Albera Bair Theater
2801 3rd Avenue North
Tickets: $30/$16
Show: 7:30 pm
Ph: 406.256.6052
04/29/2011, Fri
Pawling, NY
Trinity Pawling School-McGraw Pavilion
700 New York 22
Tickets: $35
Show: 8:00 pm
Ph: 845.855.3100
05/14/2011, Sat
Bethel, NY
The Bethel Performing Arts Center
200 Hurd Rd.
Tickets: $52 adv/$57 door
Doors Open: 7:00 pm, Show: 8:00 pm
Ph: 866.781.2922
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
