MCTA: Irish Flute Player and Singer Shannon Heaton

Mountain City Traditional Arts

Boston-Based Irish Flute Player and Singer Shannon Heaton Will Perform at Mountain City Traditional Arts

Frostburg State University’s Mountain City Traditional Arts will host Boston-based Irish flute player and singer Shannon Heaton, on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. at 25 E. Main St. in Frostburg. The live entertainment is open to the public through general admission with a suggested donation of $15.

Heaton has performed and taught on four continents. She is an Artist Fellow of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was twice named Live Ireland’s Female Artist of the Year. In her solo shows, she shares tunes, songs and stories, taking listeners on a tour of places and people that keep Irish music alive.

Heaton was exposed to many music traditions on her way to Irish music, travelling extensively throughout North America, Nigeria, and Europe with academic parents. After her first year of college in Suphanburi, Thailand, she studied music performance and ethnomusicology at Northwestern University and attended Irish music sessions throughout Chicago. There she met guitarist Matt Heaton, with whom she spent many winters in Ireland.

When not performing as Matt and Shannon Heaton, she has collaborated with numerous acts, including Japanese-based Tricolor, Newfoundland native Keith Murphy, balladeer Robbie O’Connell, harpist Maeve Gilchrist and fiddle player Sam Amidon.

A wildly creative teacher, Heaton has created free resources for Irish traditional musicians, including her long-running “Tune of the Month” video/podcast series. During the early days of the pandemic, she started the “Virtual Guided Session” with participants from more than 50 countries. She is also a prolific composer and arranger, and her original music has been recorded by the Battlefield Band, Allie Robertson, Childsplay and many others.

Heaton is a world-class American performer with Irish roots and universal appeal. She is passionate about making Irish music accessible to players and listeners of all levels and backgrounds.

MCTA is a program of FSU and the Maryland Traditions Program of the State Arts Council.

For more information, call 301-687-8040.

Music