Norah Rendell

Singer, flute and whistle player, Norah Rendell is a founding member of the award-winning group, The Outside Track (UK, Ireland, Cape Breton) and performs with the Two Tap Trio, Máirtín de Cógáin Project and Paddy O’Brien’s Doon Céilí Band.

Nominated for “Best Traditional Singer of the Year” by the Canadian Folk Music Awards, and three-time “Best Vocalist of the Year” (Live Ireland Awards), she is an accomplished singer who has been featured as a solo act at Celtic Connections, Pierre Schryer’s Canadian Celtic Celebration and at the Celtic Junction Arts Center in St. Paul.

Norah’s performances have been featured live on MPR’s Heartland Radio, CBC’s Canada Live, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Scotland and Radio nan Gaidheal. Her recordings have been broadcast on the CBC, BBC, RTÉ Radio na Gaeltachta and on folk shows across North America.

Norah has an MA in Irish Traditional Music Performance from the University of Limerick and a Bachelor of Music degree in Early Music Performance and Music Education from McGill University. She has given guest lectures and workshops at University College Cork, University of Limerick, The Folk Steps Conference in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and has taught numerous workshops in Irish song, flute and whistle at festivals throughout North America and Europe.

Norah has nine albums to her name including “Spinning Yarns”, her solo album released to critical acclaim in 2015. She also appears as a guest vocalist on Canadian string quartet, The Fretless’ album “Waterbound” which won three prestigious Canadian folk music awards in 2012.

In addition to numerous performance-based projects, Norah is currently based in Saint Paul, Minnesota where she works passionately as the Executive Artistic Director of the Center for Irish Music, a non-profit community music school dedicated to handing down the tradition of Irish music that serves over 400 individual students every year. She loves teaching whistle lessons and classes to students of all ages!