Stella studied music from a young age, starting piano accordion lessons at five, followed later by singing and piano, both through the Royal Irish Academy of Music. A degree in Computer Science from University College Dublin followed, and in 2017 she completed a Master’s Degree in Music in Dublin’s Conservatory of Music. She used the unexpected downtime of the pandemic to build on her undergrad IT skills to study Music Production with Berklee College, Boston, and Music Composition & Arranging with Studio Orchestrations, Belfast, which has led her into the fascinating world of writing, arranging and producing sync music for TV, film and gaming; she has already had several albums of her original instrumental music signed exclusively to Warner Chappell Production Music in Nashville.
That said, her heart will always be, first and foremost, as a singer, story-teller and concert performer. Alongside her studies, many years of singing in musicals, concerts and as bandleader at the bandstand helped Stella finely-tune her craft, and her versatile repertoire crosses over jazz, light classical and musical theatre.
Stella’s recent studio album, the 20205 Grammy longlisted “Look for the Silver Lining”, is a collaboration with the acclaimed Johnny Taylor Trio, featuring a mix of jazz standards and some new songs written by Stella. Since releasing her first album in 2014, she has performed at all the major jazz festivals in Ireland – including a headline performance at Cork Jazz Festival 2024, as well as performances in Pizza Express London Pheasantry and jazz venues in Germany, France and Australia. She has devised several concert programmes including, “Stella Sings Ella”, a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, as well an exploration of jazz-inspired interpretations of the music Stephen Sondheim, alongside collaborator Cian Boylan. Both of these shows have toured the island of Ireland with the support of the both Arts Councils on the island, while the Ella show most recently (November 2024) returned to a sold-out lunchtime audience @ NCH.
No stranger to the art of the big band, Stella sings with the Hot House Big Band for their monthly residency in Dublin, has recorded with the Dublin City Jazz Orchestra, and she leads her own quartet with whom she tours and performs her own much-loved weekly jazz residency show.
She has also branched out into radio broadcasting, having presented and produced a music show on Dublin City FM for over 3 years, and has also been a presenter on Ireland’s beloved Christmas FM. She has also become an accomplished voiceover artist, recording radio and TV voiceovers for private and corporate clients.
©2024 STELLA BASS
