Venue: Theatre 2
Time: 4pm-5.30pm
Presenter(s): Moira Smiley
Chair: Dr Yonit Kosovske
Moira Smiley shares original and traditional folk songs with unique arrangements, including banjo, accordion, piano, and body percussion. Expect soul-stirring arrangements of Anglo-Celtic ballads, American spirituals, European folk-laments, and sharp, poignant original songs that call effortlessly upon the audience to whisper, clap, or sing along. Themes of real and metaphorical border crossings—hopeful immigrants, exiles in mourning, or each of us seeking belonging and empathy—are the backbone of this repertoire.
Moira Smiley is a Grammy-nominated composer, singer, and educator renowned for her mastery of the voice and playful ability to inspire singers of all levels and backgrounds. With a deep respect for the cultural roles of singing, Moira blends teaching, composing, improvising, and performing to empower community and our sense of wonder and belonging. Moira has published over 150 choral works that are sung by millions of singers worldwide and has produced 10 albums of vocal-harmony-centred songwriting and traditional folk music. Known for her dynamic voice and stage presence, Moira has collaborated with some of the most celebrated names in music, including Tune-Yards, Eric Whitacre, Chris Thile, Hilary Hahn, and Morten Lauridsen. As a member of Tune-Yards, she's performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien and the UK’s Later… with Jools Holland. Recently, she performed and recorded for Chris Thile’s project ‘Attention!’ and Laurie Anderson’s ARK, and she released an album and book called ‘The Rhizome Project’.