Shannon Lambert-Ryan

Coming from a variety of musical backgrounds including Celtic, folk, classical, and musical theatre, Shannon Lambert-Ryan, of Philadelphia, fronts RUNA with rich, vibrant vocals. She studied Music, Theatre, and History at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. For several years, Shannon worked as an actor in theatre and film productions, including the Arden Theatre Company’s Sweeney Todd, Brian Friel’s Translations with the Irish Repertory Theatre of Philadelphia, and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village. In 2004, her theatrical work took her to Italy, where she performed as Ermia in the world premiere of Il Sogno di una Notte di Mezza Estate (Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) with the International Opera Theatre Company. She spent three years as the lead female vocalist in Boston-based, world music ensemble, the Guy Mendilow Band, before forming, RUNA, with husband and co-founder, Fionán de Barra. Shannon now acts as RUNA’s manager, as well as the band’s lead singer. Additionally, she has performed as a vocalist (singing in Irish and English) and step-dancer with a number of artists, including Moya Brennan, Keith and Kristyn Getty, Téada, John Flynn, and Joe Jencks. She was recently honoured by the Irish Music Awards with a nomination for Best Female Vocalist.