The World Music Institute Presents CHERISH THE LADIES: AN IRISH HOMECOMING Tonight

The World Music Institute concludes its 2014-15 Around the World, Around the City series with Cherish the Ladies: An Irish Homecoming tonight, March 7, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. at Peter Norton Symphony Space.

The all-women's Irish-American music sensation, Cherish the Ladies, celebrates its 30th anniversary. What began as a concert series organized by folklorist/musician Mick Moloney in 1985 has developed into one of the most successful touring ensembles in Celtic music, renowned for its virtuoso instrumental talents, beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements and stunning step-dancing.

Over the past three decades, the band has toured the world, performed at the White House and the Olympics, and recorded 15 outstanding albums, the last of which was made into a Public TV special, An Irish Homecoming.

Joining the group for the anniversary are members and longtime collaborators, including two-time Grammy nominated vocalist Maura O'Connell, National Heritage Award winning fiddler Liz Carroll, Siobhan Egan, Marie Reilly, Aoife Clancy, Donna Long, Deidre Connolly, multiple Irish dancers, and the original group organizer Mick Maloney.

CHERISH THE LADIES

Taking their name from a traditional Irish jig, Cherish the Ladies initially began in 1985 with a series of concerts celebrating the rise of female musicians in once a male dominated scene. The concerts were held in New York City and organized by Dr. Mick Moloney and the Ethnic Folk Arts Center. The group eventually became one of the most successful and sought after Irish-American groups in Celtic music.

Under the leadership of the dynamic and irrepressible Joanie Madden on flutes and whistles, Cherish the Ladies was recently named one of the top 25 most influential Irish Americans of the past quarter century.

Past years have seen the group tour North and South America, the United Kingdom and Europe, China, Australia, and New Zealand. They are equally at home in front of a symphony orchestra, a performing arts center, a folk festival or even the White House.

During their travels, they have attained numerous awards and achievements including Best Musical Group of the Year by the BBC, Top North American Celtic Group at the Irish Music Awards, Entertainment Group of the Year by the Irish Voice Newspaper, the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall's International Group of the Year at the Celtic Connections Festival in Scotland, and Top North American Celtic act by NPR Radio's "Thistle and Shamrock" program. In 2010, the ladies were immortalized as they were bestowed a street naming as "Joanie Madden and Cherish the Ladies" became a permanent street sign on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, New York.

They have shared the stage with such noted entertainers as James Taylor, Joan Baez, Emmy Lou Harris, The Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, The Chieftains and dozens of symphony orchestras. The "Celtic Album," their collaboration with the Boston Pops Symphony, led to a Grammy nomination. A recent release, "Country Crossroads," sees Cherish the Ladies join forces with the Nashville music scene.

The Ladies have recorded fifteen highly acclaimed albums, including their Christmas Album "On Christmas Night," which was chosen as one of the top Christmas Albums of the Year by The New York Times, Washington Post, The Village Voice and many other outlets. They have appeared on CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, Evening at Pops, C-Span, PBS, National Public Radio, and BBC and RTE radio and television overseas. At the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, they were chosen to represent Irish music and culture at the Official Cultural Olympiad.

TICKETS

Tickets for all World Music Institute events are available for purchase online atwww.worldmusicinstitute.org, by calling (212) 545-7536, or in person at the WMI Box Office at 101 Lafayette Street, #801.

Student and group discounts are available, as are VIP tickets for select events. Discounts are also available for WMI Friends with memberships starting at $70. WMI Friends enjoy priority seating throughout the season.

Photo Courtesy of the World Music Institute