Biography

One of the most sensational musical pioneers to explode on the Irish scene, Melanie O'Reilly is now firmly established in the great pantheon of creative Irish artists.

As a performer/singer-songwriter, her exhilarating and unique blend of Irish traditional music and jazz creates a powerful and haunting soundscape, exploring untouched frontiers, and which captivates audiences worldwide.

Born in Dublin, Melanie comes from a family of musicians and actors, and she spent most of her youth treading the boards as an actress and singer, while at the same time was a multiple- award -winner singing in Dublin’s Feis Ceol competitions.

Her passion for jazz began when her sister Clodagh introduced her the sound of jazz singers at the age of 11.. Intrigued by the rhythms and scat improvisations of Ella Fitzgerald, she decided then that she would become a jazz singer, and she immersed herself in the music of other jazz giants such as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie. She also absorbed much by listening to Irish groups such as Horslips, Louis Stewart’s Trio and the sean-nos singing of Sean O Riada

After an Arts Degree from UCD, and a stint in St. James Hospital in Dublin, she moved to Edinburgh train as a nurse, but after qualifying as a nurse, jazz took over again and she began singing in a band formed by consultant psychiatrists. After re-discovering her voice through the Gershwin and Porter standards, she went professional, slowly discovering the possibilities of mixing jazz with traditional Irish music. She proceeded to build up phenomenal respect and notoriety within jazz circles.

She began her Celtic-Jazz journey with the composer David Milligan and the Gaelic poet Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill. and in 1997, she returned to Ireland, having felt the pull of her roots, continuing the journey by immersing herself in Irish traditional music, travelling all round the country.

At the same time her international career took off with her acclaimed performance at the prestigious Lincoln Centre, New York, and this has gained her a place in the international market, and already having established a distinguished career on the live circuit in Britain,and Ireland she continues to receive standing ovations from Cork to Norway, from the London Barbican to New York's Lincoln Centre.

Melanie's stunning debut album "Tir na Mara", now known as “Oilean Draiochta “- received the critical thumbs-up from the artistic community as well as garnering wide radio play and has contributions from a host of renowned musicians such as Larry Coryell, Tommy Hayes and Eileen Ivers. It also features songs which were the result of her collaboration with top Irish poet, Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill. Two of the tracks were chosen to appear on the best-selling compilation "Celtic Woman" which includes tracks from Loreena McKennitt and Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill. "

Other recordings include the Award nominated album “House of the Dolphins”, a further development of Melanie’s fusion of Celtic jazz, and nominated for Best Contemporary Album and Best Contemporary Female Artist. Her most recent album –“Aisling Ghear/Bitter Vision – is a duo album with guitarist Sean O Nuallain and has been released to wide critical acclaim. Two of her songs she has co-written with Nuala ni Dhomnaill (“Chugat an Puca” and “Amhran na Milaoise” have been chosen for the compilation albums -“Realta ’98” and “Realta 2000”. She also featured on the recently released French album “Lorient Festival Interceltique –Trent Ans/Thirty Years”- a compilation of the best of Lorient.

Performances & Festivals

Melanie has performed at many international festivals and some of these include:

Jazz at Mont-Louis, Jazz at Andernos, Lincoln Centre Out–of- Doors Festival,NY, Milwaukee Irish Festival; ,City Lore Festival, NY,;Lorient Festival Interceltique, Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, la Fete de la Musique Normandy; Silda Jazz Fest, Norway, London Barbican Festival, London-Irish Arts Festival; Birmingham Jazz festival, Edinburgh International Festival, South- Bank Festival London, Celtic Connections Festival Glasgow, La Langaguaire, Reims, Temple Bar Festival Dublin, “Samhain” Festival Derry; International Jazz Fest Derry.

She has also performed at the National Concert Hall Dublin, St. Patrick;s Cathedral, Dublin, Royal Festival Hall London, Birdland New York, Palm Springs California.

Melanie tours with various ensembles – ranging from a six-piece band to quartet and trio. She also presents a folk-jazz & bossa nova duo with guitarist Sean O Nuallain – known as Bitter Vision.

Radio & Television:

Melanie is a regular performer on BBC - RTE - Telefis na Gaeilge - Channel 4- BBC Radio, Scotland - Radio Irlandise RTE 2 - BBC Radio 3 & 4 - Radio na Life - Radio na Gaeltachta - Anna Livia - FM 104 - Radio France - TV France bleu Bretagne - France bleu Normadie - France 3 - TV5 - Chaine TV - and RTE Television.

Melanie has also persented a series of Jazz Book Reviews for the Arts Show on BBC Radio, Scotland and has also presented the programme "Rogha Melanie" on Anna Livia, a bi-lingual music programme covering jazz, traditional and world music.

She has been a regular guest on RTE Radio's "Season Ticket" reviewing the latest albums and has presented RTE Radio's popular music
programme "The Mystery Train".

Awards:

While living in Scotland she won an award from the Sottish Arts Council to sing with top American arranger Richard Niles and co-formed the O'Reilly Niles Dectet which toured Britian and featured on BBC Radio.

In 1998, Melanie received a song writing award commissioned by the Sirius Arts Centre, also from the Arts Council of Ireland.

As a guest vocalist with Michael Holohan's Ensemble, she performed a new piece called "A Snail in my Prime" composed by Michael Holohan and poet Paul Durcan. Performed at venues such as the Hugh Lane Gallery, Newgrane Heritage Centre, Drogheda Arts Centre and featured on RTE Radio one, it subsequently won the top award at the Celtic Film, TV and Radio Festival in Quimper, Brittany in March 2002.

Master Classes & Workshops:

Melanie has give Jazz Vocal Master Classes at the national Concert hall