Eileen Ivers will change the way you think of the violin.
Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated, renowned career as a performer, composer, producer, songwriter, band leader, educator, multi-instrumentalist and revered pioneer in connecting her American, Irish traditional, jazz, blues, and world roots.
Recent News • Grand Ole Opry debut to multiple standing ovations • Performs for President Biden in Ireland • Authors critically acclaimed children’s book winning Family Choice Award • Appointed to Iona University’s Board of Trustees • Releases “Scatter the Light” album
Eileen Ivers continues to push traditional fiddling boundaries from a folk music staple to a fiercely fresh, powerfully beautiful, intensely driving world stage experience. In a career that has spanned 30 plus years, Ivers has performed and/or toured with such diverse artists as Sting, Patti Smith, Al Di Meola, Hall and Oates and The Chieftains. She has guest starred with the London Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, over 60 symphony orchestras to date, and was the groundbreaking musical star of Riverdance, a featured instrumentalist on Back to Titanic and film soundtracks including Gangs of New York. She is a 9-time All-Ireland fiddle champion, and one of the most awarded All-Ireland Fiddle and Banjo champions ever. Eileen has been proclaimed “a national treasure” by NCTA Board Chairman George Holt.
She’s been called a “sensation” by Billboard magazine and “the Jimi Hendrix of the violin,” by The New York Times. “She electrifies the crowd with a dazzling show of virtuoso playing” says The Irish Times.
Ivers graduated magna cum laude in Mathematics from Iona University, and in 2019 Iona conferred upon Eileen the degree of Doctor of Arts, honoris causa for her “lifelong commitment to innovation, excellence and deep dedication to bringing people together through music.” Eileen has recently been appointed to Iona’s Board of Trustees and, as one of many projects, will further develop Iona’s performing arts curriculum.
Eileen continues to bring people together in performance with her powerhouse quintet. The L.A. Times proclaims, “Ivers’ presentation was music with the kind of life and spirit that come together when talented artists from different backgrounds find the linkages that connect all forms of music…no wonder the audience loved every minute.” Eileen’s energetic, passionate band, Universal Roots, connect music, cultures, stories and emotions that tie us together …celebrating the fact that we are more alike than dissimilar. The ensemble, with a broad array of instrumentation, features Colin Forhan (lead vocals, guitar, banjo, concertina), Buddy Connolly (button accordion, whistles, piano, vocals), Lindsey Horner (upright and electric bass, baritone sax, harmonicas, vocals), Dave Barckow (lead vocals, percussion, guitar), together with Eileen on fiddle, mandolin, banjo, bodhran, and live looping.
“Scatter the Light” is Eileen’s most recent release of predominantly original music. It follows the #1 Alt-Country charted release, “Beyond the Bog Road”, which focused on the influences of the Celtic tradition on Roots music (bluegrass, French-Canadian, Cajun, Appalachian, Americana). Irish Music Magazine called it “a triumph …a musical Magnus-Opus”.
In 2022 Eileen was awarded the Family Choice Award for her first children’s book, a heartwarming story entitled “Will Someone Play Bluey?”. The 5-star rated and acclaimed book embodies an anti-bullying, stand-up-for-yourself theme featuring talking instruments …and a blue violin.