Laoise Kelly

Ireland

Laoise Kelly is one of Ireland’s foremost traditional harpers. She first learned her music at home in Westport, County Mayo. Her parents listened to an eclectic mix from Scott Joplin, The Beatles, Nana Mouskouri, Johnny Cash, Louis Armstrong, De Dannan to lots of classical music. Laoise’s father taught her and her siblings how play piano and to read music, and she started playing harp at age 12.

She has gone on to win many harp competitions including several All-Irelands and the Belfast Bicentennial Harp Festival competition, which commemorated the great Harp Festival of 1792.

Laoise was a founder member of the traditional group Bumblebees with whom she recorded two albums and toured extensively, gaining widespread international recognition. Since then, she has recorded on over 50 albums with many of Ireland’s foremost artists including The Chieftains, Sharon Shannon, John Hoban, Dónal Lunny, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, Tommy Makem, Matt Molloy, Mary Black, Kathleen MacInnes as well as Kate Bush and American country/bluegrass icon Tim O’Brien. She has also released two solo albums, hercritically acclaimed debut, "Just Harp", and "Ceis" in 2010.

Laoise's first time at Celtic Colours was in 1997 with the Bumblebees. She has been back many times since, and every time audiences are thrilled with her rhythmic and melodic intricacy, her syncopation and undulating chords and harmonies.