Shane Hennessy is a virtuoso fingerstyle guitarist, singer/songwriter, and composer. With an upbringing in the world of Irish traditional music, Shane has been captivating audiences globally for the past few years, with sell-out solo tours in Europe and North America under his belt, as well as regular appearances at major international music festivals including MerleFest (NC), Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival (Winfield, KS), Sound of Europe Festival (Düsseldorf, Germany), and Milwaukee Irish Fest (WI). He has released four albums of original music, and his most recent studio album ‘Rain Dance’ was hailed as “a triumphant reaffirmation of his virtuosity and compositional excellence” by Irish Music Magazine. Shane has collaborated with Tommy Emmanuel, worked with Grammy-winner Bill Whelan (composer of Riverdance), and made his début on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee in March 2023.

A musician from a young age, Shane credits his background in Irish traditional music as the base on which he has built his genre-defying musical explorations. Initially a concertina player under the tuition of the renowned Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh, he achieved successes in the Fleadh Cheoil competitions in Ireland. He then turned to the guitar aged twelve inspired by the music of James Taylor. Becoming more interested in songwriting and in music in general, it was when he discovered the styles of Tommy Emmanuel and Chet Atkins that his interest in solo performance blossomed.
Described by legendary guitarist and mentor Tommy Emmanuel as “a brilliant entertainer and an amazing musician who transcends the guitar the same way Muhammed Ali transcended boxing”, Shane has since developed an unmistakably unique voice as a fingerstyle guitarist, blending his native Irish music with elements of jazz, country, blues, funk, classical, soul, world, and hip-hop. With the addition of some smooth vocals and improvisations, it makes sense why music legend super-producer Nile Rodgers (CHIC) remarked that “[Shane’s] style is killer, it’s really cool stuff”

His live shows are known for their energy and variety - anything from Bach to Beyoncé! Irish Music Magazine have called him “one of the most exciting live performers of his generation”, and attest to his “virtuosity and compositional excellence”. Shane is a firm favourite on the festival scene in the United States, appearing at prestigious roots festivals such as MerleFest (NC), Walnut Valley (KS), Appaloosa (VA), MusikFest (PA), and Philadelphia Folk Fest (virtual edition), as well as numerous Irish and Celtic Festivals including Milwaukee Irish Fest, Kansas City Irish Fest, Irish Fest Chicago, Michigan Irish Music Fest, Music City Irish Fest (Nashville, TN), Iowa Irish Fest, and many more.
Shane has released four albums of original music - Zephyrus (2015), Marrakech (2017), and most recently Rain Dance (2020), and Idircheol (2020). In 2017 he sold out a solo show in Ireland’s National Concert Hall for the release of Marrakech. In 2020 he released Rain Dance on a livestream supported by Culture Ireland’s #IrelandPerforms initiative which garnered an enormous worldwide audience of 120,000 viewers. He also received funding from The Arts Council of Ireland to produce Idircheol - an album of solo guitar music that combines Irish traditional influences with his unique fingerstyle guitar approach, music from which featured in the 2020 TG4 Television production ‘Samhlú’. In 2018, Shane performed as the lead guitarist in a six-piece ensemble for the world première of ‘Educo’ by Riverdance composer and Grammy-winner Bill Whelan.

Along with his career as a solo artist, Shane has also been involved in production and writing with a number of artists including Chloë Agnew (Celtic Woman), Lisa Canny, and The Ashley Davis Band. He has also given numerous lectures and guitar workshops all over the world for guitarists and musicians eager to learn more about his unique musical approach. Shane is also a MusicNotes.com Signature Artist, and is an official educator and course creator with the TrueFire teaching platform.
In 2022, Shane featured on the Temple Bar TradFest and FleadhFest broadcasts in Ireland, supported Tommy Emmanuel on a tour of Germany, and was awarded the Male Musician Of The Year by the ALSR Awards (American Listener-Supported Radio). In March 2023, Shane made his début appearance on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, to a standing ovation, during his time at Music City Irish Fest. A seven-week tour of the United States followed later in the year, as well as an invitation from the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins to perform at the Presidential Garden Party at Áras an Uachtaráin (The President’s Official Residence in Dublin).

 

Early 2024 saw Shane on one of his most successful tours to date, with a run of sold-out shows both in the USA and during his Canadian début, as well as feature performances at TradFest Dublin, and in Altea, Spain. Shane also released a duet with US singer/songwriter Jessica Willis Fisher in April 2024, covering Dolly Parton and Chet Atkins' song "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?". At the time of writing, May 2024, Shane is working on new music, both instrumental and vocal, as well as a collection of Donald Fagen and Steely Dan covers, both of which will be released in the near future. The latter part of 2024 will see him return to touring in the USA.

“There was part of me that didn't really believe that he could do what he does on one guitar until he came into the studio, sat down in front of me, and played. I thought there had to be loops, or extra tracks, or recording tricks, and there was none of that - my jaw dropped! What a talent!” - Marty Whelan, RTÉ Lyric FM