For many years, Irish cellist and composer Clíodhna Ní Aodáin has felt a deep connection with trees and the quiet presence they hold. Through her new album For the Love of Trees, she transforms those moments of connection into music, creating a collection of seven evocative compositions that invite listeners into a space of stillness, reflection and harmony with nature.

The album began with a simple yet powerful idea: to listen more deeply. Clíodhna started bringing her cello into forests and sitting beneath individual trees, allowing each encounter to guide the music that followed. Trusting the first feeling or melody that emerged, she would sing, discover the notes on her cello and create a spontaneous musical conversation with each tree.

The result is a deeply personal body of work inspired by trees encountered across Ireland, Switzerland and the United States. Each piece reflects the unique character and atmosphere of the tree that inspired it, from the gentle presence of the Linden tree to the ancient energy of the Redwood.

The album’s focus track, “Linden Tree,” captures the calm strength and quiet wisdom associated with the tree, offering listeners a spacious and immersive soundscape built around Clíodhna’s expressive cello work.

Recorded in Boulder, Colorado, For the Love of Trees features the cello of Grammy Award-winning cellist David Darling and was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Mickey Houlihan. Combining cello improvisations, voice, piano, atmospheric textures and subtle field recordings, the album creates a meditative listening experience that feels deeply connected to the natural world.

More than just a collection of compositions, For the Love of Trees is an invitation to slow down and reconnect with the environment around us. Through her intimate cello soundscapes, Clíodhna encourages listeners to step outside, spend time with trees and rediscover the power of simply listening.

Speaking about the project, Clíodhna Ní Aodáin shares:

“My hope is that this music inspires people to spend time with trees, to listen more deeply, and to experience the peace and connection that nature offers us so freely.”

Known for creating sound worlds that bridge Celtic tradition, intuitive expression and contemporary healing music, Clíodhna’s work moves beyond traditional performance, offering music that reconnects people with themselves, each other and the living earth.

Cellist and composer Eugene Friesen praised the album as a beautiful tribute that creates “a kind of musical map toward grounding, love, and unity,” while award-winning Irish fiddler Martin Hayes described the recording as “thoughtful, cinematic and rich with feeling.”

For the Love of Trees arrives on August 14, 2026, inviting listeners to experience nature through sound and discover the quiet stories held within the trees.