Maz O'Connor

Maz O'Connor is an English folk singer, songwriter and composer from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.[1] She has released four albums[2] and has written book, music and lyrics for the folk musical, 'The Wife of Michael Cleary', which won the 2023-24 Stiles + Drewe Mentorship Award for new musicals.[3]

Career

O'Connor grew up singing traditional folk songs at parties and folk clubs.[4] In 2009, she was a finalist in the BBC Young Folk Award.[5] From 2009-2011, O'Connor sang with the band Last Orders, including appearances at Cropredy and the Cambridge Folk Festival.[6] O'Connor studied literature at Jesus College, Cambridge.[7]

In 2014, she released her first album, 'This Willowed Light' and was nominated for the Horizon Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.[8] She has since released three further albums and her music has been played on BBC Radio 2,[9] BBC Radio 1,[10] BBC Radio 3[11] and BBC 6 Music.[12] Her songwriting has been praised for its innovation and individuality,[13] while her voice has been compared to Joni Mitchell's.[14] She cites Joni Mitchell and Nina Simone as two of her major influences[15] as well as folk songs, folklore, literature and mythology.

In 2022, she was a winner of the Drake YolanDa Prize, judged by YolanDa Brown.[16][17]

As a composer, she has been commissioned by The Royal Shakespeare Company,[18] UK Houses of Parliament,[19][20] and BBC Radio 4.[21]

'The Wife of Michael Cleary' is her first musical, for which she has written book, music and lyrics.[22] It is based on the true story of Bridget Cleary. The first public workshop of the piece was performed at The Other Palace, London, in October 2024 starring Faoileann Cunningham, Connor Byrne and Ciarán Owens.[23]

In 2026, O'Connor will release her fifth album, 'Love It Is A Killing Thing', a collection of centuries-old folk songs about the perils of love, reimagined, in some cases re-composed, and recorded live to tape.[24]

References

  1. ^ "15 questions | Interview | Maz O'Connor | Shared Alchemy". 15questions.net. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  2. ^ Davies, Mike (2019-10-16). "Maz O'Connor: Chosen Daughter". KLOF Mag. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  3. ^ "Singer and writer Maz O'Connor wins MTI Stiles and Drewe Mentorship Award". The Stage. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  4. ^ Hennessy, David (2019-09-26). "Maz O'Connor - A Daughter of the Diaspora". The Irish World. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  5. ^ "BBC - Press Office - BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2009 – winners announced". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  6. ^ "BBC - Cambridge Folk Festival - Last Orders". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  7. ^ "Review: Maz O'Connor and Matthew Jones". University of Cambridge. 2013-03-30. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  8. ^ "BBC Radio 2 - BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, 2015, Radio 2 Folk Awards 2015 - Folk Awards 2015 - The Winners!". BBC. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  9. ^ "BBC Radio 2 - The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe, Maz O'Connor". BBC. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  10. ^ "Singer songwriter has her single played on BBC Radio 1". The Mail. 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  11. ^ "BBC Radio 3 - In Tune, Francesca Dego, Maz O'Connor". BBC. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  12. ^ "BBC Radio 6 Music - The BBC Introducing Mixtape, New music from Gag Salon, Rose Betts, Fieves and more!". BBC. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  13. ^ Spencer, Neil (2014-06-28). "This Willowed Light review – a perfect blend of youthfulness and gravitas from Maz O'Connor". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  14. ^ Spencer, Neil (2016-02-28). "Maz O'Connor: The Longing Kind review – shadows, light and a touch of Joni Mitchell". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  15. ^ Guest, Special (2019-10-24). "Maz O'Connor on Nina Simone". At The Barrier. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  16. ^ "Winners of the 2021 Drake Yolanda Award for Emerging Young Musicians announced". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  17. ^ "Winners of the 2021 Drake Yolanda Award for Emerging Young Musicians announced". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  18. ^ "SHAKESPEARE AT NO 10". director. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  19. ^ "Folk musicians have taken inspiration from an unusual source to celebrate British democracy". The Independent. 2015-11-16. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  20. ^ Denselow, Robin (2016-10-06). "Carter/Kerr/Joseph/O'Connor: Sweet Liberties review – rousing folk tribute to democracy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  21. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Took Nothing Left Nothing". BBC. 2026-01-15. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  22. ^ "Workshop presentation announced for 2023-24 MTI Stiles + Drewe Mentorship Award winner". West End Best Friend. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  23. ^ "The Wife of Michael Cleary - Industry Presentation". Mercury Musical Developments. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  24. ^ Parkinson, Richard (2025-12-04). "Maz O'Connor returning with fifth album in 2026". Americana UK. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.