“Ireland’s foremost jazz Ambassador” is how Downbeat Magazine refers to Melanie O'Reilly, she is a international performer known for her initiative Celtic jazz sound "thoroughly modern take on the jazz tradition…utterly transformative.” - LA Music Connection.
 
Her exhilarating and unique blend of jazz and Irish traditional music creates a powerful new
exploration that journey to untouched musical frontiers and which captivates audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, “Gorgeous sound… a Celtic cadence with a jazz sensibility” -  Berkeleyside.
 
Her Celtic Jazz style fuses two great traditions - Celtic melodies & themes with jazz - a fusion that represents Ireland as part of the European Ethno-Jazz movement. She electrifies audiences whether she sings in Gaelic or English, and her original songs are often inspired by her deep Celtic roots in Gaelic poetry, Irish myths and the works of Irish literary giants such as James Joyce. Melanie also sings and records in French and has garnered much respect while touring in France. Her popularity there is growing to great acclaim as was witnessed during the past year when she has performed to packed venues and “standing room only” audiences.
 
Melanie tours extensively throughout Ireland and Europe, she has performed to great acclaim at the Lorient Festival Inter-Celtique Brittany, La Fete de la Musique in Normandy; Voix du Monde in Lilles, the Andernos Jazz Festival France, and D’ici et D’ailleurs World Music Festival in Châlons-en-Champagne. She has represented Ireland many times at La Fête de St Patrick around France, notably her recent performances at Le Dansoir Cultural Centre Normandy, where she collaborated with France’s top contemporary choreographer Karine Saporta who created a new dance work to Melanie’s original Celtic jazz songs.
Her concert at Ireland’s National Concert Hall was voted one of the top concerts of the year by the public. 

​In the UK, venues have included The London Barbican, the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, Glasgow University, the Birmingham Jazz Festival and the Aberjazz Festival.
 
Melanie was awarded an “Artist of Extraordinary Ability” in the Unites States where she has
performed in such prestigious venues such as the California Jazz Conservatory, New York’s
Lincoln Center, The Black Cat San Francisco, Angelica’s Jazz Club Redwood City, Take 5 Jazz
Club at the Brubeck Institute, International House Berkeley, the Irish Center SF, and Keys Jazz Club, among others. She has also represented Ireland at the highly prestigious European Jazz Festival at Schoenberg Hall, Los Angeles. ​She was awarded Artist-in-Residence as performer and composer in La Mue Residency France and her Celtic Jazz Ensemble represented Ireland at the European Heritage Festival Normandy.

She was awarded Jazz Artist-in –Residence at Wexford Arts Centre from 2021 till 2023, and
continues to perform her music to sell-out audiences. In 2022 and 2023 she was awarded
prestigious Arts Grant , and has represented Wexford as part of Ireland’s National Culture Night and at the Irish Festival Sli.