In a recording career spanning nearly two decades, Loreena McKennitt’s “eclectic Celtic” music has won worldwide critical acclaim and earned gold, platinum and multi-platinum sales in 15 countries across four continents. In her latest release, An Ancient Muse, Loreena McKennitt continues her exploration of the connections between the Celtic music that launched her career and the traditional music of the East. CAPA welcomes McKennitt to the Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.) on Saturday, Oct.13 at 8 p.m.

An Ancient Muse is McKennitt’s first studio album in nearly a decade, but she picks up where she left off in 1997’s The Book of Secrets, connecting the traditions of Celtic music with music from other parts of the world. She started studying these connections on a trip to Venice in 1991, when she realized that the musical influence of the ancient Celts traveled with them throughout Europe and the Middle and Far East. She took this discovery to the studio, releasing The Visit, the first in a series of albums that are essentially musical travelogues. She followed this album with The Mask and the Mirror in 1994, which draws inspiration from Celtic, Spanish, and Moroccan influences. The Book of Secrets’ musical roots traveled as far as Siberia and Sicily and drew on classic literature such as Dante and The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes.

An Ancient Muse concentrates on the easternmost influence of the Celts, musically exploring Mongolia and the Byzantine empire. To invoke the proper spirit of these regions, McKennitt uses an eclectic parade of instruments, including a lyra, hurdy-gurdy, harp, and a nyckelharpa (a Scandinavian keyed fiddle)—and a host of guest musicians to play them, all acclaimed artists in their own right.

Prior to McKennitt’s series of travel and historical music, she celebrated her roots and love of Celtic music with her 1985 debut album, Elemental, recorded in one week in a remote barn and drawing heavily from Irish literature and history. Her sophomore album, To Drive the Cold Winter Away (1987), was the first of two seasonal albums; A Winter Garden would follow in 1995. She also released Parallel Dreams in 1987, already looking for common threads in music and crossing over into other genres, moving from traditional Celtic to “eclectic Celtic.”

McKennitt’s music has been met with enthusiasm from fans and critics alike, selling 13 million albums worldwide. All seven of her previous releases have gone gold, platinum, and multi-platinum. She has been honored by her home country of Canada, earned multiple Juno Awards (Canada’s music awards), and been recognized by Billboard for her international achievement. All of her albums have been released on her own label, Quinlan Road, which was begun by filling mail orders at her kitchen table and has grown into a successful international label.

Tickets are $75, $50, and $35 at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and at www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, call (614) 431-3600 or (614) 469-0939. The Palace Theatre Ticket Office will open two hours prior to the performance. Students between the ages of 13-19 may purchase $5 High Five tickets while they are available.