Susan McKeown

Susan McKeown (born February 6, 1967) is an Irish-American folk singer, songwriter, and producer. Dubbed the “Celtic High Priestess,” McKeown has contributed to more than seventy albums over a career spanning upwards of three decades. Among several awards and honors, she won the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album for Wonder Wheel with The Klezmatics.

Since 1989, McKeown has served as the front woman of Susan McKeown & The Chanting House. Their 1996 album Bones garnered international recognition, with Time Magazine remarking “this is the kind of music that will link Ireland’s musical past with its future.” Her 2004 album Sweet Liberty—a blend of Celtic folk with elements of Mexican Mariachi and Malian Tuareg music—was nominated at the 2005 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. McKeown’s 2012 album Belong was a critical and commercial success, and its lead single, “Everything We Had Was Good,” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Folk Singles Chart.

Throughout her career, McKeown has performed at numerous venues including the Glastonbury Festival, Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Hollywood Bowl, and the National Concert Hall. Her music has been featured on PBS, NPR, PRI, BBC, and RTÉ, as well as in ad campaigns for Audi, Jaguar, and Olay.Alongside poet Paul Muldoon, McKeown serves as co-artistic director of Feis Teamhra, an annual festival of poetry and music held at the Hill of Tara, an ancient ceremonial site in County Meath, Ireland.