Michael Londra

Irish tenor Michael Londra grew up in Wexford, a modest Irish town where he first explored music through choirs and operas. Though formally schooled in classical repertoire, his stronger affinity lay with traditional Irish songs. He initially pursued a career as a behavior therapist working with individuals who had learning disabilities, treating music as a sideline until his commitment deepened enough for a debut professional performance at age thirty-one. While performing in the Dublin production of JFK: A Musical Drama, he drew the attention of Riverdance composer Bill Whelan, who cast him in the American touring ensemble; after eighteen months of travel, Londra joined the subsequent Broadway mounting. That American exposure prompted a permanent relocation, and he established his home in Chicago. LML issued his first solo project, Celt, on February 14, 2006; Londra shared writing credit on several tracks. The follow-up, Beyond the Star, arrived November 3, 2009, as a holiday-themed collection timed to his yearly seasonal tour, “A Celtic Yuletide with Michael Londra,” which featured support from An Dóchas, the Washington-state traditional Celtic ensemble, and the Haran Irish Dancers. A third album, The Road Not Taken, was slated for release in 2011.