Michelle Mulcahy
Musician
Michelle Mulcahy, from County Limerick, is widely regarded as one of Ireland's most talented multi-instrumentalists in Irish traditional music today. Her impressive range of instrumental mastery includes the concertina, harp, fiddle, accordion, piano, and melodeon. She is a sought-after performer, tutor, and lecturer at music festivals and schools around the world, having toured extensively throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, China, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.
Michelle Mulcahy
Michelle is recognized as one of Ireland's most innovative and skilled harpers. Her "revolutionary style on the harp is scintillating—played with power and panache, with no concession to the complexity of the instrument, confirming her as one of the most significant musicians redefining the harp today" (The Living Tradition). She has released four highly acclaimed albums through American record label Shanachie and Irish record label Cló-Iar Chonnachta, collaborating with her father, Mick Mulcahy, and her sister, Louise. Michelle's debut solo harp album, "Suaimhneas," has received widespread acclaim and is considered one of the top harp albums in Irish music today.
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In addition, Michelle has collaborated with Riverdance composer Bill Whelan and the Irish Chamber Orchestra on his highly praised "Connemara Suite" album. She has also appeared on numerous television and radio programs in Ireland and abroad, including TG4's "Geantraí," "Gradaim Ceoil TG4," "Hup," "Béaloideas Beo," RTÉ's "Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann," and BBC Port. Michelle Mulcahy has significantly redefined the contemporary harp landscape with her remarkable musicianship. She has received accolades such as TG4 Young Musician of the Year (2006) and Female Musician of the Year. Her solo album "Suaimhneas" has gained international recognition.
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In 2017, her album "The Reel Note," created in collaboration with Louise and Mick Mulcahy, won TradConnect’s Traditional Album of the Year. In 2023, Michelle, along with Mick and Louise, received the TG4 Gradam Ceoil award for their contributions to Irish traditional music. With a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology, Michelle's 2023 solo harp release "Lady on the Island" has been hailed as "one of the most important recordings in recent Irish music history"