The story of Áed begins in 2013, when singer Ilenia Ballacchino and fiddler Helen Maier met at the Irish traditional music session in Lucerne, Switzerland. Both had been drawn to folk music since childhood:
Ilenia grew up surrounded by Sicilian folk traditions and later immersed herself in Irish culture while studying Celtic Studies in Ireland, where she learned the bodhrán from renowned player Robbie Walsh.
Helen, inspired early on by the klezmer music her grandfather played at home, picked up the fiddle at eight and never let it go, performing in countless ensembles over the years.

Their shared love for folk music and the natural musical connection between them led to the wish to form a group of their own. Along the way they met Jonas Künzli, a bassist rooted in gypsy swing and jazz who had travelled Ireland alone at eighteen and developed a lasting affection for Celtic music, and Raoul Morat, a guitarist with a classical background and a longstanding fascination for Irish traditional music. Both had become regulars at the Lucerne session, where the four musicians quickly found a shared language and a musical home.

Since 2023, Áed’s sound has expanded with featured ensemble member Anna Murphy, whose hurdy-gurdy and vocals add a raw, resonant depth to the ensemble. Born in Lucerne to a Swiss mother and an Irish father, she brings her own thread of Celtic musical heritage, shaping her instinctive feel for drones and modal storytelling. Active internationally as both musician and sound engineer, Anna adds a distinctive, atmospheric colour that enriches Áed’s sound both live and in the studio.

These five musical paths weave into Áed’s compositions. Rooted in Celtic tradition yet drawn to modern textures and narrative soundscapes, their music blends earthy melodies, powerful rhythms and dark, shimmering colours with wide harmonies and subtle shifts. Inspired by myths, transitions and inner landscapes, Áed’s sound feels both grounded and spacious, intimate and expansive.

With their third album Beyond (2025), Áed unfold this depth more fully than ever. The pieces move between archaic force and delicate intimacy — carried by Ilenia’s warm and expressive voice, Helen’s fiddle oscillating between tenderness and intensity, Jonas’ grounding bass foundation, Raoul’s open and playful guitar work, and the atmospheric timbres of Anna’s hurdy-gurdy.

Their previous album Leaf (2023) — recorded by Anna Murphy and featuring guest musicians Cillian King and Ryan Murphy — already hinted at this expanded sonic signature: a blend of tradition, modernity and cinematic atmosphere that feels unmistakably their own. Beyond continues this path: darker, wider, familiar yet new.

Experiencing Áed live means entering a world that opens slowly — an evening of voices, warmth, depth and that quiet kind of magic that lingers long after the final note.

Áed released their debut album Moved in 2020, followed by Leaf in 2023 and Beyond in 2025.