Hannah Flowers is a singer and harpist from St. Paul, Minnesota. Classically trained from a young age, she discovered Traditional Irish music as a teenager and hasn’t looked back since. Known for her sensitive and lyrical accompaniment of songs as well as her syncopated and rhythmic accompaniment of dance tunes, Hannah enjoys exploring the full depth of traditional Irish music and song. She holds a B.A. in music and a Master's Degree in Irish Traditional Music Performance from Maynooth University in Ireland.

Hannah enjoys an active performing career  including performances at the Milwaukee Irish Fest, La Crosse Irish Fest, Minnesota Irish Fair, Minnesota Renaissance Festival, IAM's St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, the Celtic Junction Arts Center, as well as many solo shows, programs, and workshops across the US and Ireland.

In the past she has had the opportunity to study in Ireland with master harpists such as Grainne Hambley, Michael Rooney and Michelle Mulcahy. She has had the opportunity to compete in both harp tunes and airs and song (English and Irish) in the Fleadh Cheoil na Éireann in Sligo. Hannah is an accomplished lever harpist and singer and in recent years has developed an interest in Ancient Gaelic harp techniques, which led her to spend summer 2015 studying Ancient Gaelic harp at Scoil na gCláirseach, the Summer School of Early Irish Harp in Kilkenny. In January 2016 she gave a sold out solo performance at the Celtic Junction Arts Center as part of the “Next Step Fund” grant she received from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council to study Ancient harping technique and compare and contrast it with modern lever harp style. Summer 2017 she was awarded a “Gaeltacht Summer Award” through Ireland-United States Commission for Educational Exchange to study Irish Language in the Gaeltacht in Gleann Cholm Cille, Co. Donegal. This experience fueled her fascination with the Irish language and led to her spending the subsequent summers of 2018 and 2019 continuing her Irish language studies in the Gaeltacht in Donegal.

As a singer Hannah found herself drawn to traditional songs in the Irish language and has learned dozens of songs from her longtime teacher, mentor, and friend, guitarist and singer Dáithí Sproule. Hannah’s studies in Ireland has fueled her interest in combining her singing and harp playing and make a name for herself as a harpist/singer with an understanding of both ancient harp techniques and an ear for the more modern sounds and techniques of Irish lever harp. Her passion is accompanying herself on the harp while singing songs, especially songs in the Irish language.

In late 2018 she released her debut album “Amhrán na Cruite/Song of the Harp” which featured twelve songs in the Irish language with harp accompaniment.  She was joined on the album by mentor and renowned Irish guitarist Dáithí Sproule, flautist and singer Cory Froehlich, sean-nós dancer Danielle Enblom, and fiddler David Ochs.

Hannah was awarded a Fulbright Student award in 2020 to pursue post-graduate research in Irish harp accompaniment and complete a master’s degree in Irish traditional music at Maynooth University outside Dublin, Ireland. In 2022 she was awarded a First Class Honours MA in Traditional Irish Music.

Following the completion of her Master's Degree and research in Ireland, Hannah released her second full-length album "Hall-Gate House" in September 2022. The album features solo sets of traditional Irish tunes as well as songs in English and Irish accompanied by guitarist Dáithí Sproule.

Apart from being an active performer on lever harp and as a singer, Hannah is a sought after harp and song teacher privately and at the Center for Irish Music, a non-profit community music school dedicated to handing down the tradition. She has also taught and performed around North America at the Somerset Folk Harp Festival in New Jersey, The Harp Gathering in Ohio, and at many Irish Festivals and Fairs.

Awards

2012 “Best Musical Act” Minnesota Renaissance Festival

2014 1st Place winner at the Midwest Regional Fleadh Cheoil in four competitions–harp tunes, harp airs, traditional songs in English, and traditional songs in Irish.

2014 Competitor at Fleadh Cheoil na Éireann in Sligo, Ireland in harp tunes, harp airs, traditional songs in English, and traditional songs in Irish.

2014 Minnesota Scottish Harp Competition first place winner

2015 Recipient of a “Next Step” grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council used to study Ancient Gaelic harp at Scoil na gCláirseach (The Summer School of Early Irish Harp) in Kilkenny, Ireland

2016 Chosen as a “Young Ambassador” for the St. Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland

2017 Recipient of a Gaeltacht Summer Award from the Ireland-United States Commission for Educational Exchange to study Irish Language at Oideas Gael in Gleann Cholm Cille, Co. Donegal.

2019 1st Place winner at the Midwest Regional Fleadh Cheoil in the senior “Irish Language Song” competition

2020 Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship Awardee

2020 Awarded a Fulbright to Ireland

2022 Awarded First Class Honours Master of Arts in Irish Traditional Music Performance from Maynooth University

Hannah Flowers