Concerts/Special Events

Switchback

March 17 | 7:00pm | Doors open 6:30pm
Tickets $20 in advance; $25 at the door

Switchback, featuring the dynamic duo of Marty McCormack and Brian FitzGerald, has captivated audiences around the globe with their unique blend of American roots and Celtic soul music. With decades of performance experience, they bring a rich tapestry of sound that transcends genres and connects deeply with listeners. 

In 1986, FitzGerald was a mandolin student of Jethro Burns and had been touring with Clifton Chenier when he met McCormack. McCormack was an award-winning voice student of Whelma Oshiem at the American Conservatory of Chicago, and a member of the Star Search-selected band Beyond Blue. They were chosen by County Kerry composer and concertina master Terrence ‘Cuz’ Teahan to join his traditional Irish group where they were taught the old country techniques of Irish musical entertainment, making them members of one of the last generations to be directly influenced by a master of this genre.

In 1988, after Teahan’s death, the duo continued his musical legacy by joining forces with banjo player Bert McMahon of Woodford, and County Galway and Chicago fiddle legend Mary McDonagh to form a group, the Wailin’ Banshees. Their first album was a commercial success, and Chevrolet used one of the songs from it to promote the Chevy Blazer automobile. Producer Lloyd Maines produced several albums for them, including “The Fire That Burns”, which was selected as one of Performing Songwriter Magazine’s top choices for 2003. The duo toured, opening for such acts as The Moody Blues, Leon Russell, Lee Greenwood, John Hartford, and Beausoliel.

FitzGerald and McCormack did not forget their Irish roots and continued to perform at concerts and festivals. Playing over 200 engagements a year, they performed at festivals from Stan Rogers Folk Festival in Nova Scotia to the Summer Celebration in Michigan, where they performed for an audience of 15,000. Switchback has shared the stage with such notable Celtic musicians as Cherish the Ladies, Gaelic Storm, Liz Carroll, and John Williams. They tour Ireland each year, and have played at the pub in Westport, County Mayo, owned by The Chieftains’ Matt Malloy. They have performed at the 3,400-seat Star Plaza Theater in Merrillville, Indiana, and in the intimate and famous Bluebird Café in Nashville, Tennessee.

Switchback’s music is frequently played on radio stations such as RTÉ Radio One with Pat Kenny in Dublin, Ireland, and can be seen on Public Broadcasting Television stations throughout the United States.

Alash Ensemble

March 28 | 7:00pm | Doors open 6:30pm
Tickets $20 in advance; $25 at the door

Alash Ensemble comes to you from the Republic of Tuva, which sits at the southern edge of Siberia, with Mongolia to its south. Over the centuries, Tuva has been part of Chinese and Mongolian empires, and shares many cultural ties with Mongolia. In 1944 it became part of the USSR, and until the late physicist Richard Feynman drew attention to it, was largely unknown to westerners. The Republic of Tuva is now part of the Russian Federation.

Alash Ensemble are masters of the arts of traditional – and non-traditional -instrumentation and of Tuvan throat-singing – a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. While deeply committed to traditional Tuvan music and culture, at the same time, they are fans of western music. Believing that traditional music must constantly evolve, the musicians subtly infuse their songs with western elements, creating their own unique style that is fresh and new, yet true to their Tuvan musical heritage. All members of Alash were trained in traditional Tuvan music since childhood, first learning from their families, and later becoming students of master throat singers. The musicians are inspired by the music of their grandparents, great-grandparents, and the great musicians of Tuva and Central Asia. At the same time they are influenced by such western artists as Sun Ra and Jimi Hendrix.

Hear traditional songs about fast horses and pretty girls, and remarkable instruments – Igil (horse-head fiddle), doshpuluur (often compared to the banjo), byzaanchy, murgu (overtone flute), and various percussion instruments, accompanyint the spine tingling sounds of Tuvan overtone singing in the high-fidelity space of Farwell Hall at Folklore Village.

Seven-String Guitar Museum on Wheels with Oleg Timofeyev and Dan Caraway

March 17 | 7:00pm | Doors open 6:30pm
Tickets $20 in advance; $25 at the door

In their concert of English, Polish, Ukrainian, and Russian Music, Oleg Timofeyev and Dan Caraway will showcase their 7 (seven!) historical seven-string guitars, ranging in age from 100 to 250 years. Every instrument has a unique story, and the two artists will make them speak in the most entertaining and informative way.

Oleg Timofeyev is a musicologist, guitarist, composer, documentary film director, and the world authority on the Russian seven-string guitar tradition. He holds an M.A. in Early Music Performance from the University of Southern California and a Ph.D. from Duke University. The recipient of two IREX Fellowships, two Fulbright Research and Teaching Fellowships, he has won the coveted Noah Greenberg Award for his CDs “Music of Russian Princesses at the Court of Catherine the Great.” In addition, he has made more than twenty CD solo and ensemble recordings featuring the music for the Russian seven-string guitar, to critical acclaim worldwide. Dr. Timofeyev has taught at universities and conservatoires in the US, Russia, and Ukraine. In addition to a book on Russian-Romani guitar playing (Centerstream, 2018) and a critical edition of collected works by Matvei Pavlov-Azancheev (with Stefan Wester, DGA Editions, 2020). Oleg’s monograph on the seven–string guitar in Russia came out in 2023 (Cambridge Scholars Publishing). Oleg Timofeyev is the world’s Number One expert on the history of the seven-string guitar in the Russian Empire, and on the role of Czech, Polish, and Ukrainian musicians in the development of this instrument. 

Dan Caraway is a musician and teacher living in Dubuque, Iowa who believes we all have music “in us” and making music can be fun and rewarding for everyone regardless of age or experience. He studied with several of the region’s best classical guitarists and began teaching professionally in 1993 offering private and class instruction at Grinnell College, Cornell College, Iowa City Guitar Foundation, Dubuque Art Center, Dubuque Guitar School, as well as various after-school programs. Dan has been active as a performer, including solo and performances with the Iowa Guitar Trio (Iowa City); Russian Guitar Quartet; the Fast Clydes; Hard Day’s Night (Beatles cover band); and various other performances in the region.

To see and hear some of these gorgeous, vintage Russian 7-string guitars: