Ellen Gira is a vibrant and versatile cellist and teacher. Her unique musical voice fuses folk and traditional influences with her classical training, from her native DC area and at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her musical projects and repertoire span numerous fiddle styles, including Scottish, Irish, Old-Time, Canadian, and Scandinavian.
Ellen is highly sought out as a collaborator. She frequently tours as part of the acclaimed fiddle-cello duo Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira, whose debut album All It Brings won “Traditional Album of the Year” at the 2024 Canadian Folk Music Awards. Notable performances with this project include Celtic Connections, Celtic Colours, and live performances on BBC Radio and for HRH King Charles III. Recently, Jocelyn & Ellen have also joined forces with Swedish duo Woodlands to form Atlantic Crossing, an all-female international quartet performing music from both sides of the Atlantic. Atlantic Crossing made its debut at the Urkult Festival in Sweden, performing live on Swedish National Radio. Ellen also performs with the stringband Vandalia with fiddler Dakota Karper and guitarist Gabriel Furtado. Dedicated to exploring the depth and breadth of American stringband music, the group has found a niche inside of the old-time community as well as in the wider arts world that offers audiences a forward-looking take on traditional acoustic music.
As a teacher, Ellen brings her passion for music and collaboration into the studio. Having earned her doctorate in trad cello pedagogy at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, she has taught Scottish Trad Cello at the RCS, and now works with cellists and traditional musicians in the DC area. Ellen also organizes and teaches regular workshops and fiddle-cello retreats with her duo partner, Jocelyn Pettit.
