Máiréad Nesbitt

Irish musician

Celtic
classical

Occupation(s)MusicianInstrument(s)

Fiddle
violin
piano

Years active1996–presentLabels

Vertical
Manhattan

Websitewww.maireadnesbittviolin.com

Musical artist

Máiréad Nesbitt (/ˈmɔːreɪd/ MOR-ayd,^{[citation needed]} Irish: [ˈmˠaːɾʲeːd̪ˠ]) is an Irish musician. She is known for performing Celtic and classical music and being the former fiddler for Celtic Woman. She was also one of the two original fiddlers in Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance in the mid to late 1990s, along with its extended version Feet of Flames in the early 2000s. ^[2]

Background

Nesbitt was born to John and Kathleen Nesbitt, both music teachers in County Tipperary, Ireland. She has a sister, Frances, and four brothers, Seán, Michael, Noel and Karl, all of whom are musicians. She has been a piano player since the age of four, and began playing the violin at age six.

Her formal musical studies began at The Ursuline Convent in Thurles, County Tipperary and progressed through the Waterford Institute of Technology and the Cork School of Music, during which time she participated in the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland. Nesbitt completed postgraduate studies at Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music in London under Emanuel Hurwitz.^[3]

Besides her family, Nesbitt has stated that her influences range from Itzhak Perlman and Michael Coleman to bluegrass artist Alison Krauss and rock's David Bowie and Sting.^[4]

Personal life

Nesbitt has been married to Jim Mustapha Jr., Celtic Woman's then-lighting director, since 2011.^[5]

Discography

Solo

Raining Up (2001 UK Release; 2006 US Release)
Hibernia (December 2016)

With Celtic Woman

Celtic Woman (March 2005)
Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration (October 2006)
Celtic Woman: A New Journey (January 2007)
Celtic Woman: The Greatest Journey (October 2008)
Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart (January 2010)
Celtic Woman: Lullaby (February 2011)
Celtic Woman: Believe (May 2011, January 2012)
Celtic Woman: Home for Christmas (October 2012)
Celtic Woman: Emerald - Musical Gems (February 2014)
Celtic Woman: Destiny (October 2015)
Celtic Woman: The Best of Christmas (November 2017)

With The Dhol Foundation

Drum-Believable (2005)

Other contributions

Lord of the Dance (March 1997)^[6]
Feet of Flames (February 1999)
Tinker Bell (soundtrack) (October 2008)
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (soundtrack) (September 2009)
Devil's Bit Sessions (June 2017)
Harmonious (soundtrack) (October 2021)

Filmography

Lord of the Dance (November 1999)^[6]
Celtic Woman (March 2005)
Celtic Woman: A New Journey (January 2007)
Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration (October 2007)
Celtic Woman: The Greatest Journey (October 2008)
Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart (January 2010)
Celtic Woman: Believe (January 2012)
Celtic Woman: Home for Christmas (October 2013)
Celtic Woman: Emerald - Musical Gems (February 2014)
Celtic Woman: Destiny (October 2015)

References

^ Máiréad Nesbitt at IMDb
^ Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance (17 November 2020). "Michael Flatley, Cora Smyth & Máiréad Nesbitt, Behind-the-Scenes with Feet of Flames: Celtic Fire". YouTube. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
^ Fennell, Hilary (2007). "How I got here: Playing it cool". LoadzaJobs.ie. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
^ "Biography, Paragraph 1". MaireadNesbitt.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
^ "The Sibling in Tune with One Another". Independent.ie.
^ ^a ^b "Recordings". MaireadNesbitt.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2010.

"Invasion Dance Press Release". CelticCafe.com. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
Carlin, Michael. "Irish Music Magazine 2003 Awards Review". irishcultureandcustoms.com. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
"Irish Music Magazine Oct. 2003 Backissue". irishmusicmagazine.com. Retrieved 23 February 2010.