Mary Frances Leahy

The oldest of seven siblings, Mary Frances is finding her way almost effortlessly from being part of an ensemble with her parents to stepping out into the spotlight as a solo artist. She had plenty of solo moments in concerts, whether playing fiddle, piano, or step dancing. But having her name on the marquee or ticket is a relatively new concept. "It's weird because for performing, it's something that I'm so used to," she says. "But being the lead person is kind of new. So I'm doing something that feels very new but also feels very old at the same time. I'm getting used to it."

Influenced by her parents, Ferrer, Celtic fiddle legends (Buddy MacMaster, Mac Morin and Howie MacDonald), Western swing artists such as Mark O'Connor and Mark Sullivan, the late jazz pianist Bill Evans and Latin pop star Marc Anthony, Mary Frances is no stranger to the stage. Leahy spent 2024 supporting First Light while performing at Cape Breton's Broad Cove Scottish Concert and Celtic Colours, the inaugural Nova Scotia Stampede, Prince Edward Island's Mutual Festival of Small Halls, Milwaukee's Irish Fest, and Australia's Woodford Folk Festival. And she's previously performed with an A-list of talent including Yo-Yo Ma, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, British musician Tim Edey and Spanish gaita (bagpipes) wizard Carlos Nunez among others.
With one of her TikTok videos getting over 2.4 million views and a busy 2025 on the horizon, Mary Frances is on the cusp of stardom, continuing a line of internationally renown musicians in her family tree without any internal pressure. "It doesn't feel like a duty to my family to perform," she says. "It feels like a duty to myself because I know I have so much to give."
Judging by the stunning First Light, Mary Frances certainly does.