Peia Luzzi is an American-born song collector, writer, and multi-instrumentalist based in the mountains of Appalachia. Like water drawn from a deep well, she finds inspiration in her ancestral roots, weaving together the rich traditions of Irish and Old World European folk music. With a voice that moves effortlessly through 17th-century Irish laments, Scottish waulking songs, Bulgarian mountain calls, and timeless Child Ballads, Peia has spent over a decade traveling and studying to reconnect with the songs of her lineage. Honoring their languages and stories with deep reverence, she brings a piece of herself to each melody she carries.
“She uses bowed acoustic bass, harmonium, bodhrán, and charangón to generate an otherworldly ambience. Peia sings like a stringed instrument, creating countermelodies that dance through the arrangements with an air of blissful sorrow.” — Downbeat Magazine
With live performances often described as timeless and transcendent, Peia and her trio—featuring Peter Klaassen on double bass and Liron Meyuhas on percussion—transport audiences through hypnotic rhythms and soaring, ethereal vocals. Their performances offer a lush, organic tapestry of sound, bridging traditional folk treasures with Peia’s own soul-stirring compositions.
Peia’s artistry is defined by her ability to seamlessly traverse musical traditions, weaving between folk, world, and ambient soundscapes with a voice that feels both ancient and timeless. This versatility has led to collaborations with renowned artists across multiple genres, including Ali Ghamsari, Ajeet and Rising Appalachia in the folk and world music realms, as well as a feature on Electronic artist Robot Koch’s critically acclaimed ambient album Allow—a project that merges organic vocals with immersive soundscapes. She has also composed original music for the Emerald Podcast, contributing to its exploration of folklore, ecology, and ancestral wisdom through sound. Another recent highlight includes her live improvisation, Bird’s Tear Drops, with virtuoso guitarist Estas Tonne, capturing a spontaneous and deeply moving fusion of sound and spirit.
In addition to her work as a song carrier, Peia studied at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where she refined her vocal technique and deepened her understanding of composition, improvisation and world music traditions. Beyond performance, she is passionate about guiding others to discover their own authentic voice and rekindle their connection to ancestral song. Through her Song of the Ancients workshops, she shares the transformative and healing power of song with participants around the world.