About
Moira Murphy: Progressive, Jazz, Classical, Metal
Appalachian Daughter Moira Murphy, lauded for her 'haunting voice and magnetic stage presence' (No Flash Photography, Madison), is a contemporary soprano, composer, and meditation practitioner. She has toured internationally with new opera, performed around the U.S. with metal, rock, goth, indie, and jazz bands, acted at Dollywood, performed masterworks with orchestras, arranged music for pro theatres and churches, stage directed opera, led vocal master classes for students in Denver and Virginia, and coached voices from age 8 to 80.
She holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Literature and a Bachelor of Arts in Piano and Vocal Performance.
Moira is currently a full-time voice instructor and freelance performer focusing on her medieval sound baths, jazz, and her original compositions.
Her original work encompasses progressive folk and metal genres through her solo recordings and her work with Oryad. She aims to peel away the layers of obstruction around the subconscious using ethereal, haunting melody and modes along with ritualistic rhythm. Oryad's debut album SACRED & PROFANE has been hailed as "immediate, visceral, and incredibly emotional" (Metal Roos) with "exciting and exhilarating orchestration" (Aardschok).
Explore each genre below.
PROGRESSIVE
As a composer and arranger, Moira uses haunting and ethereal melodies in conversation with a wide variety of instruments to create recordings and performance experiences that defy genre. A sophomore solo album will be released in 2027, featuring both originals and covers.
Her 2024 debut solo album, 'A Trembling Flame,' is a classical ambient collection that centers around her arrangements of the chants of 12th century mystic Hildegard von Bingen.
She has performed this repertoire around the United States in Basilicas, cemeteries, and tea houses, aiming to reframe what a more 'classical' music experience can be. Currently, this repertoire is featured in her sound baths.
METAL
Moira is the frontwoman, main composer, and orchestrator for the progressive metal band Oryad.
Oryad has appeared across the United States, melding live music, projection art, and dance to great acclaim for this 'exciting and exhilarating orchestration' (Aardschok). The band blends operatic vocals with metal, classical, jazz, folk, and gospel influences. Their debut album, 'Sacred & Profane,' has been hailed as "immediate, visceral, and incredibly emotional." (Metal Roos)