Nancy
is best known for her singing in traditional
Irish and American ballads. A Native New Yorker, she was exposed
at an early age to
the music and traditions of many cultures. However,
it was her parents' collections of recordings of traditional American
Ballads,
combined with the music and songs which surround
her at family gatherings, which inspired her to learn the banjo
and guitar at
an early age. Since her introduction to Irish
music in the late 1970's, she has come to embrace the tradition's
transformational
qualities-its narrative depth, innate lyricism
and incomparable melodic shifts. She states, " I love Irish
songs because of their potential to evoke heartfelt emotions. The
stories told in
these ballads-of love, hate, joy in life, loss
in depth, of magic and mystery-resonate with listeners today just
as they did hundreds
of years ago."
Although
known for remarkable voice, Nancy Conescu is also a fine guitarist.
her imaginative and polished accomplishment style keeps her in
high demand, and she has performed with many of the world's ,most
respected Celtic musicians, including fiddlers Martin Hayes, Kevin
Burke, Brian Conway, Gerry Harrington, piper Gerry O' Grada and
accordionist Charlie Piggott. In addition to her solo CD, Long
Distance (1997), Nancy is featured on Aontas, the band's self-titles
CS, (1998). Her latest release The Fiddler The Voice (2003)with
Gerry Harrington has brought her to the forefront among singers
and musicians in Ireland.
Nancy
has toured extensively throughout Ireland and France, and appeared
on both TV and radio there. She has also performed at festivals
and concerts throughout the US, and her vocal technique workshops
have become very popular with singers of Irish traditional songs.
