Miami University Regionals Artist Series features Galician bagpipes, bluegrass, Celtic, jazz and folk
written by Ruth Orth, public relations, Middletown campus
Miami University Regionals Artist Series continues its season with an outstanding lineup of performances that includes Galician bagpipes, traditional and progressive bluegrass, Celtic, jazz and folk music at the Hamilton and Middletown campuses.
Balsam Range
Balsam Range and Helen Highwater
Saturday, February 28
7:30 p.m.
Miami Hamilton’s Parrish Auditorium
Balsam Range is a bluegrass band that in 2014 won the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Entertainer of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year. Also, Buddy Melton was named Male Vocalist of the Year, and Tim Surrett received a Mentor Award. The band’s fifth album, “Five,” made its Billboard chart debut at No. 4. They are best known for mixing elements of jazz, country, gospel, swing and old-time music, creating a unique and fresh sound.
Helen Highwater is a new name in Bluegrass with familiar faces in the group. David Grier on guitar, Missy Raines on bass, Mike Compton on mandolin and Shad Cobb on fiddle make up the quartet.
Tickets for this performance are $25 for adults, $23 for senior citizens/Miami employees and $16 for college students and children under 12.
WingWalkers
Thursday, March 5
6 p.m.
Miami Middletown’s Verity Lodge
WingWalkers play folk, blues and jazz in an improvisational style. Doug Hamilton, a classical trained violinist, along with Noah Cope on upright bass and Michael Kalter on guitar are best known for their ability to constantly adjust to their environment in the same way as a wing walker, rolling with changes in either the arrangement or tempo.
This is a free concert sponsored by the Artist Series.
The April Verch Band
Carlos Núñez and The April Verch Band
Saturday, March 14
7:30 p.m.
Miami Middletown’s Dave Finkelman Auditorium
Carlos Núñez comes from Galicia, the Celtic region in the northwest of Spain. Núñez plays the traditional Galician bagpipe, Galician flute, ocarina, Irish flute, whistle and low whistle. Billboard magazine calls him the Jimi Hendrix of bagpipes.
The April Verch Band features world-class musicians Hayes Griffin on guitar, Cody Walters on upright-electric bass and banjo with April Verch, a Canadian fiddling champion, step dancer and singer/songwriter. They are best known for their irresistible blend of Celtic, jazz, folk and bluegrass music.
Tickets for this performance are $25 for adults, $23 for senior citizens/Miami employees and $16 for college students and children under 12.
The Travelin" McCourys
The Travelin' McCourys and the Gibson Brothers
Saturday, April 11
7:30 p.m.
Miami Middletown’s Dave Finkelman Auditorium
The Travelin' McCourys consist of the sons of bluegrass legend Del McCoury — Ronnie McCoury on mandolin and Rob McCoury on banjo — with fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Alan Bartram. The band is known for a mix of traditional and progressive bluegrass that combines their sound with others to make something fresh and rejuvenating.
The Gibson Brothers is a five-man band that has won numerous awards including 2013 IBMA Entertainers of the Year; Vocal Group of the Year, Song of the Year (“They Called It Music”) and Songwriter of the Year (Eric Gibson).
Tickets for this performance are $30 for adults, $28 for senior citizens/Miami employees and $20 for college students and children under 12.
Tickets are available in person at Miami Middletown’s cashier office in Johnston Hall or by phone at 513-727-3412. Online ticketing is available at miamioh.edu/boxoffice. A service charge applies to online orders. For more information, email epsteihr@miamioh.edu.
