Biography
Hi! My name is Molly Ronan and I am a harpist and flutist!
Background
Molly Ronan is a multi-instrumentalist hailing from Jacksonville, Florida. Playing music for as long as she can remember, Molly focused her musical skills on harp, classical flute, and Irish traditional flute.
At the age of eleven, Molly began studying classical flute under the tutelage of symphony maestros Laura Dwyer and Rhonda Cassano, eventually studying the Irish wooden folk flute and tin whistle with Christina Dolphin.
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Adding harp to her skillset at the age of fourteen, Molly specializes in the Celtic lever harp and studied with the legendary Elizabeth Landis and also Kathy Braswell. Through extensive studies Molly has developed classical hand technique of the Salzedo method that she incorporates throughout her playing of all styles.
Flute, Harp, & Voice
In 2024 Molly was selected as the Florida Rose of Tralee, where she represented Florida at the International Rose of Tralee Festival in County Kerry, Ireland. In Ireland she journeyed on the Rose tour where she connected with a class of 31 other Irish and International Roses, each representing Irish communities from around the world. The tour culminated in Tralee where her voice and harp were featured on RTÉ (the international Irish television broadcast) with a live audience of 1,500 people and approximately 1 million television viewers from 81 different countries.
Currently Molly is a member of the International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen, and is the columnist for their renowned periodical harp magazine the Folk Harp Journal. Founded in 1980, the magazine is an integral facet to the folk harp community worldwide, and she is honored to be a continuing contributor to this rich community of harpists.
Molly became a four-time Mid-Atlantic Fleadh champion and eight-time medal holder (Irish Music Championship), as well as participated in the Fleadh Cheoil (World Irish Music Championship) in 2022. In school she was awarded five straight superior soloist rankings at the Florida Bandmasters Association solo and ensemble, with one awarded at the state level. She has had the privilege of performing in countless venues throughout her area, and her advanced technical skill allows her to work with clients to create the ultimate musical experience.
Molly graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology. She volunteered for over two years with the St. Augustine archeology department, her honor’s thesis was published with the UF institutional repository because of the contributions of the study to the history of St. Augustine. You can check it out here!
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Get to Know Me
When not performing, Molly loves visiting the beach (she lives less than a mile as the crow flies!), writing, and eating Publix subs. She graduated from Ponte Vedra High School in 2017, go Sharks! A native Floridian, she loves spending time in her home state and learning all she can about its history!
