Moira Smiley is a renowned American singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, born on May 21, 1976, in New Haven, Vermont. She has established herself as a versatile artist, proficient in banjo, accordion, piano, and body percussion. Smiley’s music is deeply rooted in American and Irish folk traditions and influenced by shape-note singing, western classical music, and jazz styles. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with prominent figures like Billy Childs, Eric Whitacre, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. She is also a frequent touring member of the indie-pop group Tune-Yards.
Raised in rural New Haven, Vermont, Smiley began teaching at Village Harmony Summer Camps during her teenage years. She was one of the composers featured on the 1996 recording Endless Light. Smiley attended Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music as a Wells Scholar, earning a degree in Early Music Vocal Performance. Post-college, she traveled extensively, studying Eastern European folk harmonies and traditional Irish Sean Nós singing.
At Indiana University, Smiley founded the vocal quartet VIDA, which gained recognition in the U.S. and Europe. She has also performed with prestigious early music ensembles such as Paul Hillier’s Theater of Voices and The Dufay Collective. In 2005, Smiley released her debut solo album, Rua, followed by Blink in 2006 with her vocal group VOCO.
In 2018, Smiley released her second solo album, Unzip the Horizon, praised for its innovative exploration of her vocal talents. That same year, she began working with the Seamus Egan Project, performing vocals and accordion. Her work has also been showcased in high-profile performances such as the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s BIG SING California event and TEDxCaltech’s “The Brain.”
Smiley’s accolades include the 2002 Barbara Thornton Memorial Scholarship for Medieval Music and the 2007 Lester Horton Award for “Music for Dance.” Her ensemble, Moira Smiley & VOCO, won the Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival in 2007. As a composer, she has written for the LA Master Chorale, Conspirare, and Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble, among others. Her choral compositions, known for their integration of body percussion, have been performed globally.
A dedicated educator, Smiley has led vocal workshops and residencies at numerous institutions, including Yale, Oxford, and the LA Master Chorale. Her teaching focuses on vocal flexibility, technique, and performance, with a special emphasis on folk traditions and early American, Irish, and Balkan vocal styles. Smiley also teaches with her ensemble, Voco, offering instruction in improvisation and vocal technique.
Moira Smiley continues to innovate in both composition and performance. Her recent works include Utopias for voices and strings, a retelling of Ovid’s Narcissus, and The Rhizome Project, a 2024 release featuring folk songs arranged for string quartet.
Discography
Solo albums
Rua (self-released, 2005)
Unzip The Horizon (self-released, 2018)
The Rhizome Project (self-released, 2024)
With Voco
Blink (2006)
Circle, Square, Diamond and Flag (2008)
Small Worlds (MoraMusic, 2009)
Laughter Out of Tears (2014)
In Our Voices (2021)
With Vida
Vida (1997)
In Bloom (1999)
Blue Album (2000)
Soundtracks
Sacred Ground (2001)
Changing Woman (2002)
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.