Steph Geremia

Steph Geremia, traditional flautist and singer, is recognized as a vibrant and versatile face on the traditional music scene. She has been described by Irish Music Magazine as “one of the most promising young flute players around” and “an unexpected treasure.” Her 2009 debut album, “The Open Road,” named as one of Folk World’s “top ten trad albums of 2009,” received critical acclaim at home and abroad and has helped establish her as an internationally distinguished flautist.

Steph performs and tours regularly as part of the Alan Kelly Gang. Over the last number of years, she has had the opportunity to perform and teach at top festivals across the globe including: WOMADelaide (Australia), Edmonton Folk Festival (Canada), National Folk Festival (Australia), Winnipeg Folk Festival (Canada), Port Fairy Folk Festival (Australia), Blue Mountains Music Festival (Australia), Milwaukee Irish Festival (USA), Celtic Connections (Scotland), Celtic Colors (Canada), Festival de Cornouaille (France), Festival des Traversées (France), Guinness Irish Festival (Switzerland), Festival of World Cultures (Ireland), Galway Arts Festival (Ireland), Ballyshannon Folk Festival (Ireland) and Cork Folk Festival (Ireland). Plus, a particular highlight was an invitation from legendary Irish rock band, Horslips, to open for them including a performance at Dublin’s O2. 

Steph is also a member of the recently formed Swedish, Irish and Scottish super group, Sea Road Sessions, and has toured and guested with critically acclaimed artists including Grammy award winning Chieftains, Eddi Reader, Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonogh (De Dannan), Kris Drever, Ian Carr, and Líadan. In the past, she has worked with prestigious theatre companies from Edinburgh to Galway to the US, including Galway’s An Taibhearc and the New York based, award winning and avant-garde Mabou Mines in their production of Peter and Wendy, on the original score composed by the late Scottish fiddle player, Johnny Cunningham.

Though a long-time Irish resident, Steph hails originally from New York where she first began playing traditional music. She left the States in her late teens and began traveling the world over, engrossing herself in different traditions of music learned firsthand from local experts. She studied “world music” in America and worked with people such as the legendary experimental jazz hero, Anthony Braxton. She traveled to India and lived there for several months to study the Bonsuri (North Indian flute) under PT Ginde, disciple of the legendary Panal al Gosh. Steph also lived in Italy in her youth and was greatly influenced by the salsa, jazz and folk scene there. When she was sixteen, she performed as a featured soloist with various youth orchestras in America. She then moved to County Sligo and immersed herself in the Sligo/Roscommon style of flute playing. She was taken under the wing of several of the noted players from that area and spent many years surrounded by great traditional stalwarts, such as Peter Horan, with whom she played with regularly for several years. She holds a masters degree in Traditional Irish Music Performance, which she completed at the University of Limerick and is now based in Galway where she teaches and performs on a regular basis as well as continuing to tour internationally.