Irish President Michael D Higgins called her ‘A National Treasure’ and after 20 of her own albums, countless DVDs, filmed concerts, musical collaborations, and a career that has spanned 40 years, Sharon Shannon in 2023 is still breaking new musical ground.
Her career has seen her tour the world through America, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and even Saudi Arabia and China, headlining some of the biggest global venues from The Kennedy Centre in Washington to London’s Wembley Arena. In the latter half of 2019, Sharon toured extensively across Japan, gathering inspiration for her album, The Reckoning; an amalgamation of cultures and musical influences to create one of Sharon’s most unique and original albums.
Sharon continues to redefine and reimagine the boundaries of Irish traditional music, elevating the genre through her experimental collaborations with reggae, rap, and classical musicians. Her list of collaborators is as extensive as her musical repertoire. She has recorded and toured with Bono, Willie Nelson, La Bottine Souriante, Shane Mc Gowan, Nigel Kennedy, Steve Earle, Justin Adams, Johnny Depp, Linton Kwesi Johnston, The Waterboys, and Dessie O’Halloran, and the RTE Symphony Orchestra to mention just a few.
She has entertained US Presidents Clinton at the White House and Obama in Dublin, and Irish Presidents Robinson and MacAleese on presidential visits to Poland and Australia respectively.
The genre-defying star has achieved multi-platinum album sales and has had several number chart-topping albums, singles, and DVDs in her home country. Her album Galway Girl went 4 times platinum in Ireland with the title track winning her the Meteor award two years running for the most downloaded song. She also celebrates being the youngest-ever recipient of the Meteor Lifetime Achievement Award.
An honorary Dr. of Music at The University of Galway Sharons inspires the students through masterclasses and tutorials both online and in-person. She is currently working on her own living archive. She recently created and presented a four-part musical TV series called Heartlands which saw her travel the length of her ancient namesake the mighty River Shannon, making music along its journey.
