RTT is thrilled to announce the addition of Máiréad Nesbitt to the cast of the inaugural live concert tour ROCKTOPIA: A Classical (R)evolution. ROCKTOPIA LIVE will debut at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall for one night only on Saturday, April 1, 2017 at 8:00 PM. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office.

“I am absolutely thrilled that Máiréad will be joining the Rocktopia band,” says ROCKTOPIA Co-Creator Randall Craig Fleischer. “She is an accomplished violinist with an impressive career and a great ability to communicate music to an audience. I’m very excited to work with her!”
For more than a decade, Máiréad Nesbitt has enchanted millions of fans around the world as the Celtic violinist and founding member of the globetrotting music phenomenon Celtic Woman. Loyal fans of all ages, across geographical and cultural boundaries far beyond the musical heritage of Ireland, have adored her beguiling stage presence and versatile instrumental talents. As the featured violin soloist on all 11 Celtic Woman albums, and 9 Celtic Woman PBS Specials, each title achieved the coveted #1 slot on the Billboard World Music Chart, an Emmy-nomination for one of her companion television specials and her most recent album with the group, “Destiny”, received a 2017 Grammy Nomination for Best World Music Album.
“I am delighted and so excited to be touring with PBS’ newest show Rocktopia. To be joining a show with the powerful fusion of rock and classical music with a symphony orchestra is certainly a first for me. Crossing over genres has always been a passion of mine and to add Rock to my Classical & Celtic styles will be very exciting for me!”

Máiréad’s new solo album Hibernia was released on December 9th 2016 in the US and Ireland. The album debuted on no less than 4 Billboard Album Charts including #4 on the World Music Charts; #9 on the Classical Crossover Charts, #11 on Classical Charts & #9 on the Heatseeker Charts.

ROCKTOPIA Co-Creators, vocalist and recording artist Rob Evan, and Maestro Randall Craig Fleischer have collaborated to bring together a world class cast of vocalists and musicians. This groundbreaking live concert performance celebrating the combination of classical music and opera with classic rock features five world-class vocalists and five top rock musicians including renowned vocalists Rob Evan, Chloe Lowery, Tony Vincent, Kimberly Nichole, Ximena Borges and esteemed musicians Tony Bruno, Henry Aronson, Mat Fieldes, Alex Alexander, and special guest Máiréad Nesbitt (formerly of Celtic Woman).

This electric cast along with local orchestras and choirs will launch a 4-week national tour beginning March 28 in Portland, Maine continuing to Reading, Pennsylvania March 29; Albany, New York March 30; Greensburg, Pennsylvania March 31; Cincinnati, Ohio April 1; Ft. Wayne, Indiana April 2; Davenport, Iowa April 4; Peoria, Illinois April 5; Kansas City, Missouri April 6; Joliet, Illinois April 7; Columbus, Ohio April 8; E. Lansing, Michigan April 9; Buffalo, New York April 11, Detroit, Michigan April 12; Cleveland, Ohio April 13; Baltimore, Maryland April 14; Charlotte, North Carolina April 15; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida April 18; Jacksonville, Florida April 19; Atlanta, Georgia April 20; Melbourne, Florida April 21; Tampa, Florida April 22 and Pensacola, Florida April 23. Complete tour dates, venues and ticket information can be found on http://www.rocktopia.com.

ROCKTOPIA is an inspiring and uplifting entertainment spectacle that brings a whole new way of enjoying the best of classical music and classic rock to audiences. ROCKTOPIA delivers one-of-a-kind musical arrangements blending Beethoven with Journey, Strauss with The Who, and more in musical mash-ups that surprise and delight. Musically arranged by Maestro Randall Craig Fleischer, the concert showcases the works of classical composers as well as rock bands, including the music of Mozart, Journey, Handel, U2, Tchaikovsky, Heart, Beethoven, Styx, Foreigner, Rachmaninoff, Pink Floyd, Copland, The Who and more.

ROCKTOPIA performances creates an incredible dynamic concert experience sure to blow audiences away as proven in Budapest at the State Hungarian Opera House, now a PBS TV special airing in cities across the United States.