Born and raised in Greenville, RI, Sheila Falls began as an Irish step-dancer at the age of five and violin lessons at age eight. As quickly as her skills developed, fiddle tunes emerged naturally from her playing. By age ten, under the tutelage of Seamus Connolly, Sheila became a North American Fiddle Champion and went on to capture the All-Ireland Fiddle Championship at the age of fifteen. She was the first from New England to win this title.
Sheila continued to hone her skills in both the Irish and classical genres. While in high-school, she studied music at Brown University. As a student of Masuko Ushioda, she earned a Bachelor of Music Degree from the New England Conservatory. While at the Conservatory, Sheila was awarded a fellowship to attend the Tanglewood Music Center.
Upon graduation, Falls joined the New World Symphony, under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas, in Miami Beach, Florida. She served as Concertmaster and toured extensively with the orchestra. Sheila was one of few chosen to represent the orchestra on a European tour which included the honor of performing for Prince Albert of Monaco.
Sheila returned to the New England area to make her home and joined the music faculty at Wheaton College. In addition to her violin studio, she is Director of the World Music Ensemble. She recently joined the Irish Studies Faculty at Boston College. She remains in high-demand as a teacher of fiddle music. For several years, Falls taught for the Hanafin-Cooley Branch of Comhaltas at Boston College.
Sheila is active as both a performer and recording artist. She has recorded for Tommy Makem’s “Ireland.” She is also a member of the fiddle-based band called “Childsplay.” Sheila can be heard on four of their cd’s, including the latest, “As The Crow Flies,” which features one of her own compositions. Falls is a member of “Classical Tangent”; a Boston Symphony based group which performs in a variety of World Music genres.
Sheila has released her debut solo fiddle CD, “All In The Timing.” It is comprised of fiery Irish Traditional fiddle-playing blended with some of her own compositions and features a crossover piece showcasing her versatility as an artist.
