An Introduction to the Celtic Cello

Clíodhna Ní Aodáin (pronounced “CLEE-uh-na Nee AY-dawn”), cellist, composer, conductor, and teacher, is a specialist in Celtic cello music.

Calling through the mists of time, in the language of the ancient Celts, her very name —  Clíodhna Ní Aodáin — is a tribute to Ireland’s Goddess of Love and Beauty. It is a story unto itself -- one of the many she shares about the mythologies of Ireland and Scotland.

Combining the traditional melodies of Ireland and Scotland with harmonies that speak of a more classical heritage, Clíodhna brings together tunes that all have stories to tell — stories of love, separation, nature, and the cycle of life.

The cello is a rare gem in traditional Irish music, and Clíodhna is one of its champions. Her playing is inspired by the voices of the sean-nós (old style) singers of Ireland.

She plays the cello with the same melodic grace notes and ornamentation as the traditional instrumentalists and singers, themselves said to echo the sounds of nature. She is further inspired by one of the leading figures in the traditional music of Ireland — her mentor, legendary fiddler Martin Hayes.

Trained as a classical musician, Clíodhna Ní Aodáin has hit the high notes in the classical world. She is a solo performer, a passionate and compassionate teacher, a composer, and a conductor of two orchestras in Bern, Switzerland, where she now resides. Following a life-changing accident in 2017, she dedicated herself to the music of her heart -- traditional Irish music.

In 2018 Clíodhna performed The Celtic Cello for the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, and received his blessing to use his poem “The Prophets are Weeping” to create a piece of music. In 2019 she conducted 180 musicians for an Irish music concert “In Search of a Better LIfe” -- which told the story of Irish emigrants, and highlighted the plight of refugees today.  In 2021, she won the Robinson Emerging Artist Showcase, with an invitation to play at the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival in Canada in 2022.

Called “Endlessly stimulating” by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (Ireland’s national broadcaster),  Clíodhna’s music has been well-received on radio internationally. She has released two albums — The Celtic Cello (2018), Celtic Rituals (2021), and is working on an upcoming third album.