Legendary Irish Fiddler Frankie Gavin to Perform with Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello

Legendary Irish fiddler Frankie Gavin will perform at Frostburg’s Mountain City Traditional Arts, Monday, November 4, at 7 pm. He’ll be joined by world renown musicians Tommy McCarthy on fiddle and Louise Costello on banjo. The event is open to the public, with a recommended donation of $15.

Known as a founding member of the Irish supergroup, DeDannan, Frankie Gavin has been fixture in the traditional Irish music scene for more than half a century. In his time, Gavin has played for four American presidents, starting, as a seven-year old, when he played for John F. Kennedy on his 1963 visit to Ireland; and he holds Guinness Record as the world’s fastest fiddler.

Originally influenced by some of the great Irish and American-Irish fiddle players, James Morrison, & Michael Coleman, he later found himself playing with stars such as The Rolling Stones, Stephane Grappelli, Elvis Costello, Earl Scruggs & Yehudi Menhuin as well as with some of the great contemporary players & singers of traditional Irish music. All have left their mark on his eclectic approach to music.

Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello both grew up in families steeped in Ireland’s rich music history. McCarthy, was born in London to Irish parents, who emigrated from the west of Ireland in the early 1950s. His father Tommy Sr. was a well known piper & concertina player from Co. Clare, so Tommy grew up listening to traditional music and playing with all of the legendary Irish players who were living in London.

Louise Costello hails from Galway, in western Ireland. Growing up she played with her father Denny & local fiddlers. In her late teens she broadened her musical horizons & became part of Galway's vibrant session scene. It was there that her banjo playing was influenced by Charlie Piggott.

In 1996, the duo opened The Burren in Massachusetts, which quickly became a premier venue for Irish music. Together, this powerful trio will perform an unforgettable show.

Dedicated to the sales, education, documentation and perpetuation of regional traditions, Mountain City Traditional Arts is a program of Frostburg State University in partnership with the Maryland Traditions Program of the Maryland State Arts Council and FrostburgFirst. For more information call 301 687 8040 or look for us on Facebook. 

Mountain City Traditional Arts to Host African American Storyteller Diane Macklin

Join Mountain City Traditional Arts on Frostburg’s Main Street for an afternoon of storytelling with African American Storyteller Diane Macklin, Sunday, October 27 at 4 pm. Sharing traditional stories from Africa and the US, Diane Macklin seasons her stories with rhythm, sounds and movement, engaging listeners of all ages. 

She specializes in audience participation, character education, and developmentally appropriate programming with a talent for telling stories to young listeners, ages three and up. She has received the Solo Theatrical Performer Fellowship through Maryland State Arts Council, as well as the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, in addition to the Teaching Artist Institute Fellowship and the Taft Museum’s 2013 Duncanson Artist-in-Residence.  

As a performer, certified educator, and teaching artist, Diane believes in “Making a Difference, One Story at a Time.”Macklin has performed from Massachusetts to California for venues such as the National Air and Space Museum, Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park, National Association of Black Storytellers Festival and Conference, Wolf Trap’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and the National Storytelling Festival’s Exchange Place.

This event is supported by funding from the Maryland State Arts Council.  

Mountain City Traditional Arts is a program of Frostburg State University in partnership with FrostburgFirst and the Maryland Traditions Program of the State Arts Council. For more information call 301-687-3124 or 301-687-8040.

Steph Geremia and the Flyaways

Frostburg State University’s Mountain City Traditional Arts will host an evening of Irish songs and music with Steph Geremia and the Flyaways on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. at 25 E. Main St. in Frostburg. The live entertainment is free and open to the public with a suggested donation of $15.

One of the finest musicians of her generation, Irish-American flautist and singer Geremia shares music steeped in Ireland’s North Connaught tradition. Joined by master fiddler Ben Gunnery, of Riverdance, and Scottish-American guitarist and vocalist Alan Murray, the trio delivers a vibrantly compelling show.

Geremia's 2018 solo release, “Up She Flew,” described by Irish Music magazine as “an unexpected treasure,” captures long-standing regional musical styles. “This album has not only been inspired by the rich North Connaught repertoire and particular tune settings from the players from this region, but also from a time when these great musicians breathed life into the tunes with their slight variations and subtle re-phrasing of every bar, when variations mimicked the landscape and one could get lost in the modal discrepancies,” said Geremia.

Her bandmates for this performance, Gunnery and Murray, contributed to Geremia’s newest album. Each brings a rich performance background. Gunnery, a master fiddler, has been performing on stage since he was 10 years old. Music has provided him the opportunity to travel the world, playing with such impressive ensembles as Riverdance and Barrage. Murray, originally from Scotland, has toured extensively, has been featured on multiple recordings and has shared his knowledge and talents through classes and workshops.

Together, these three acclaimed musicians come together to deliver an electric blend of music Songlines magazine calls a combination of "New World energy with Old World vibrancy.”

For more information, email MCTA at mountaincitytradarts@gmail.com or call 301-687-8040.