Iona Ritchie

lona Ritchie is an Irish traditional musician, singer, and scholar from County Waterford, whose work bridges academic distinction with a wide-ranging national and international performance career.

Her formal training includes a Diploma in Fiddle Performance from the London College of Music and classical piano studies through the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

A multiple Munster, Leinster, and All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil prizewinner across disciplines such as melodeon, fiddle, ballad singing, and ensemble playing. lona is also a two-time Munster Scór Sinsir Champion in Solo Singing.

Internationally, lona has held a summer residency at Raglan Road, Disney Springs, Orlando, and toured with dance productions including Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance, Anglo Irish Productions Cork Debut of Through Irish Eyes, Celtic Roots, Celtic Rhythm, Celtic Illusion and Murphy's Celtic Legacy, as well as representing Ireland on embassy cultural tours across Africa and Asia. She has appeared on TG4 and RTÉ broadcasts, performed at major national venues for individuals such as President Michael D. Higgins, An Taoiseach and Welsh Prime-Minister Eluned Morgan. She was also featured in BEOGA's "Shore Road Punk."

lona has completed a Master's in Irish Traditional Music at University College Cork, where she also received two First Class Honours degrees in a BA Arts (Music and English) and a Batchelors in Music, where she graduated first in her class. She is a Quercus Talented Students’ Scholarship recipient throughout the entirety of her undergraduate degree. She has received multiple prestigious academic and performance awards including: The Staf Gebruers Memorial Prize In Music, The Sydney V. Regan MA Scholarship, Sean Ó Riada Memorial Prize in Irish Traditional Music, Mary V. Hart Memorial Prize in Music, Dónal “Doc” Gleeson Award Recipient and An Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Scholarship Recipient. She served as Chairperson of the award-winning UCC Traditional Irish Music Society for two years, receiving a UCC Bene Merenti for her contribution to UCC, and leading the society to winning Best Society in Ireland (Large SU) at the national SAAI Awards.