Biography

Regina is a harper, singer, and dancer.  She plays and sings traditional Irish music.

In the United States, Regina has studied Irish harp with Aine Minogue and Maeve Gilchrist, and in Ireland with Janet Harbison and the Belfast Harp Orchestra.  Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann awarded Regina a scholarship to study the harp in Ireland as part of their Living Traditions Award.  At her first appearance at the New Hampshire Highland Games, Regina placed first in the senior novice division.  In 2003, Regina qualified for the All Ireland Fleadh (competition) in Harp and Vocals.

Regina performs hard and soft shoe step dancing, ceili and set dancing.  She teaches ceili dancing in schools as part of her Artist in Residence work and calls the dances at local ceili dances.  She has competed with the Rince Cois Fharraige Irish Dance Academy in Salem, Massachusetts, and has taught ceili, set and step at the Murray Irish Dance Academy in Stratham, NH. 

In 1998, Regina released her first CD entitled Geis, collections of Irish ballads and tunes.   2001 brought the release of  “Nollaig”, a CD of Irish Christmas music, song, dance and story that Regina produced along with Claudia Altemus – her partner in the duo ‘Réagánta’.  Regina is prominently featured on a compilation 2003 CD produced by the New Hampshire Council on the Arts, titled “Songs of the Season”.   2004 brought the release of her second solo CD titled “From These Hands”.  This CD is a collection of Traditional Irish harp tunes, songs and duos with Claudia Altemus, Rodney Miller, Eugene Durkee, Mike Serpa, Bill Thomas, and her sisters and daughter.  Réagánta released their newest CD titled ‘Cup o’ Tea’ in March 2009. 

Regina founded and directs The New England Irish Harp Orchestra, which was founded in 2005.  The Orchestra has released a CD titled “Live at the Portsmouth Athenaeum” and in 2010, a Christmas CD titled ‘The First Star’.  Within the Orchestra, is an Ensemble and they released a CD in 2014 titled 'Another County Heard From". In 2018, NEIHO released a second Christmas CD titled 'A Snowy Path'. 
To learn more about NEIHO click Here. 
 
 
Invited as a participant, Regina performed harping, singing and dancing at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival June 1999.  At the festival, which draws over one million visitors, Regina also taught ceili dancing, gave a cooking demonstration about Irish soda bread and taught Irish crafts and dance at the children's tent.  She repeated these performances at the Celebrate New Hampshire Culture Festival in Hopkinton NH in June 2000.

As an artist on the NH State Council on the Arts roster and the MaineArts Commission, Regina performs and teaches in schools throughout the state.  In the classroom, she introduces students to Irish poetry, music, song, dance, history, and literature.  From her home, Regina teaches the harp to students of all ages, along with teaching harp at Philips Exeter Academy.
Regina taught harp at Comhaltas Coeltoiri Eireann in Boston for ten years.  Regina is also an artist on the NH Arts in Healthecare Roster, bringing her music into hospital, hospice, and other institutions. 

Regina is a member of the Hanafin-Cooley branch of the Comhaltas Coeltoiri Eireann.