Biography
Caitríona O'Leary first gained recognition as a vocalist specializing in traditional Irish music, folk repertory, and early music. Born in Donegal, Ireland, she launched her discography in the mid-1990s by appearing in Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas, after which she recorded multiple projects alongside the early-music ensemble Sequentia. In 1997 she initiated an ongoing series of partnerships with the Harp Consort. At the start of the new century she established her own ensemble, Dúlra, and redirected her energies toward traditional Irish song drawn from sources spanning the Renaissance to the present day. Dúlra issued two well-received albums in 2000 and 2001 while O’Leary simultaneously maintained ties to other early-music groups, among them the London-based Joglaresa. The year 2012 marked a decisive turn: she reassembled Dúlra for Ecstasy, an anthology of traditional Irish songs celebrating joy and rapture. That same year she also introduced Shipwrecked, the first recording by her wide-ranging new band eX, and issued a double album with the Dublin Drag Orchestra. Maintaining her array of concurrent endeavors, she then collaborated with Grammy-winning American producer Joe Henry on the 2014 crossover album The Wexford Carols, which featured guest appearances by Tom Jones, Rosanne Cash, and additional artists.