Eileen Ivers (born July 13, 1965) is an American fiddler.

Eileen Ivers on stage in Lorient, Brittany in 2003

Ivers was born in New York City of Irish-born parents, grew up in the Bronx and attended St. Barnabas High School.[1] She spent summers in Ireland and took up the fiddle at the age of nine. Her teacher was the Irish fiddler Martin Mulvihill.[2] She toured with Mick Moloney's band The Green Fields of America, founded in 1977. She graduated magna cum laude from Iona College in New York and has done post-graduate work in mathematics.

History

edit

Ivers was a founding member of Cherish the Ladies. She recorded and toured with them for several years.[3]

In 1995, she replaced the original fiddler in the Riverdance Irish dance troupe and toured with them.[4]

Her original blue Barcus-Berry electric fiddle was eye-catching and inspired the name of her album Wild Blue. She later replaced it with a blue ZETA Strados acoustic-electric fiddle, which is a one-of-a-kind instrument with unique sound and ambience. It was custom-made for her by ZETA Music Systems (who will be producing an "Eileen Ivers Signature Series" Blue electric violin exactly like hers).[citation needed]

Ivers has recorded with Micheál Ó Súilleabháin, an Irish composer who uses folk, classical and jazz influences, on the television series River of Sound and on his album Becoming (1998).[citation needed]

She also recorded a traditional air for the soundtrack to the film Gangs of New York, entitled "Lament for Stalker Wallace". She appears on the soundtrack for the film Some Mother's Son.[5]

Ivers was also an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists.[6]

Discography

edit

Studio albums

edit
List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart
positions
AUS
[7]
Fresh Takes
(featuring with John Whelan)
  • Released: 1987
  • Label: Green Linnet
  • Format: LP, CD, cassette
Traditional Irish Music
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: Green Linnet
  • Format: LP, CD
Wild Blue
  • Released: 1996
  • Label: Green Linnet
  • Format: CD
Crossing the Bridge
  • Released: 1999
  • Label: Sony Classical
  • Format: CD
96
Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul
(with Immigrant Soul)
  • Released: 2002
  • Label: Vivo
  • Format: CD
An Nollaig – An Irish Christmas
  • Released: October 2007
  • Label: Compass
  • Format: CD
Beyond the Bog Road
  • Released: March 2016
  • Label: eOne
  • Format: CD, digital
Scatter the Light
  • Released: March 2020
  • Label: eOne
  • Format: CD, digital

Compilation albums

edit
List of compilation albums, with selected details
Title Details
So Far: The Eileen Ivers Collection 1979–1995
  • Released: 1997
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Green Linnet
The Best of 1979-1996
  • Released: 1999
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Earth Songs

Cherish the Ladies

edit

As a session or guest musician

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Sauro, Tony (September 19, 2013). "Former math star takes the fiddling world by storm". Recordnet. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  2. ^ Mullins, Emer. "Eileen Ivers: Bringing It All Back Home." Irish America. May/June 1996: 48+.
  3. ^ https://irishfestscrapbook.com/Scrapbook_Media/Milwaukee-Irish-Fest-Grounds-Brochure-1989-IF-EP-00-009.html [dead link]
  4. ^ Mullins, Emer. "Eileen Ivers: Bringing It All Back Home." Irish America. May/June 1996: 48+.
  5. ^ Some Mother's Son (1996), retrieved January 18, 2019
  6. ^ Independent Music Awards – Past Judges Archived July 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 138.
  8. ^ "Song of the Irish Whistle". Valley Entertainment. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  9. ^ "Into the Deep: America, Whaling & The World". Valley Entertainment. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  10. ^ "Copper: Original Soundtrack". Valley Entertainment. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
edit