Irene
Hartfield has returned to the Ely, Minnesota area after many years
of residence in New York City, where she worked as a professional musician.
With the Irene Hartfield Trio, she played many of the well-known nightspots
in Manhattan, including Jilly's, Buddy Rich's, Jimmy Weston's, and the Grand
Finale, with celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn,
Telly Savalas, Little Richard, and Ed McMahon in the audience. Irene also worked
in recording studios, writing, singing, playing, and producing commercials and
other projects.
Irene's career took her on travels to Bermuda, Venezuela, Sweden, as well as many cities in the US. A favorite memory is her appearance at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. She also spent two years playing on Holland America cruise lines. "On the ships, it was a captive audience, in the best possible sense," says Irene. "I had one great cruise director that challenged me to play a classical concert in addition to my usual repertoire."
While a student in Ely, Irene Hartfield studied piano with Ina Dunstan and was accompanist for community musicals 'Bye, Bye Birdie,' 'Music Man,' and 'The Fantasticks.' She also accompanied school choirs and instrumental soloists. Starting in Jr. High School, Irene became the organist at the First Lutheran Church in Ely, a position to which she has returned as the church's Director of Music. Irene is also organist at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Babbitt. Recently, Irene directed the Mass Choir concert for Babbitt, Minnesota's Peter Mitchell Days celebration.
"[Irene's] biggest asset is simply her voice. It's big,
expressive, sweet, controlled,
and she can do things with it from a loud, cynical Janis Joplin growl to an
almost
operatic soprano sung pianissimo....Besides her voice and technical equipment,
she brings to a song the ability to interpret and put across a lyric."
- Victor Stein, the
village VOICE
