Fiona Ritchie
This article contains text that is written in a promotional tone. (March 2024) |
Fiona Ritchie MBE | |
---|---|
Born | 1960 (age 63–64) |
Career | |
Show | The Thistle & Shamrock |
Station | NPR |
Country | Scotland |
Website | thistleradio |
Fiona Karen Ritchie
The radio program has won numerous awards since its inception in 1981, offering a fusion of traditional and contemporary Celtic sounds, interwoven with interviews, in-studio performances and Ritchie's own trademark commentary in her "soft Scots" dialect.[1]
Early years
Ritchie was born and raised in Scotland, where she went to the University of Stirling for her undergraduate education. While there, she was invited to spend one semester in North Carolina in the United States, which was when she first heard NPR. After graduating in Scotland, she returned to North Carolina and, although initially pursuing post-graduate research, was hired by WFAE FM, the NPR station in Charlotte, to oversee fundraising and promotion efforts. In her early years, Ritchie guest hosted live radio shows featuring everything from big band to classical music, also producing and presenting many live concerts.[citation needed]
WFAE was a new station open to new ideas, and in 1981 Ritchie began a weekly hour of Celtic music for its local audience. The Thistle & Shamrock was picked up for national broadcast less than two years after this debut. The program's national following grew quickly, and it was soon established as one of NPR's most widely heard and best-loved music offerings. During her years based in North Carolina, Ritchie visited radio stations coast-to-coast across the US, presenting live broadcasts and events, and in 1989 and 1990, traveled to 22 US cities with The Thistle & Shamrock Concert Tour.[citation needed]
Return to Scotland
Fiona Ritchie came full circle to re-settle and create her radio programs at home in Scotland. On numerous return trips to the United States, she has visited and raised funds for NPR member stations everywhere from Louisiana to Alaska, and hosted festival concerts from Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts to Chicago's Grant Park. Along the way she has forged a strong association with the United States, and made a unique contribution to the American airwaves.[citation needed]
In the UK, Fiona Ritchie has presented numerous programs for BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio 2, launching the Radio Scotland world music series "Celtic Connections" in 1993. She has produced and presented many live concert performances and broadcasts, including a musical event for Prince Charles in 2001 at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, and has acted in an advisory capacity for arts organisations in the US and UK, including serving on the Scottish advisory committee for the British Council.[citation needed]
In 2006, Ritchie launched Thistlepod, a free podcast from NPR, which ran until her radio programs became available to stream via NPR Music and Ritchie's ThistleRadio website. Her partnership with NPR Music gave rise to ThistleRadio in 2012, a 24/7 web-based music channel devoted to new and classic music from Celtic roots, now hosted by SomaFM internet radio. Ritchie has also produced several CD compilations and authored a 2005 volume on Celtic music for the NPR Curious Listener's Guide book series.[citation needed]
In 2014, Wayfaring Strangers: The Musical Voyage from Scotland and
Awards and honours
Ritchie's awards include six World Medals from the New York Festivals International Competition for Radio Programming, and a
In 2003 the
Ritchie was appointed
Ritchie's ThistleRadio music channel on SomaFM was awarded Best Music Show: Country/Folk/Blues in the 2017 Online Radio Awards presented by the British streaming service Mixcloud.[4] In 2018, Folk Alliance International inducted Ritchie into their Folk DJ Hall of Fame.
References
- ^ "Celtic Connections: A Visit to the Studio". The Scots Magazine, Oct 2007. D.C.Thomson & Co.Ltd. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
- ^
Fiona Ritchie & Doug Orr (2014). Wayfaring Strangers: The Musical Voyage from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia. ISBN 978-1-4696-1822-7.
- ^ "No. 60895". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 2014. p. b23.
- ^ "Mixcloud announces 2017 Online Radio Awards winners". 13 September 2017.