For the archives - Artists & Instructors 2002

Go to: [Registration Information] [Classes] [Artists] [Accommodations] [Home] [Camper Info][Links]

Alan Jabbour, Appalachian Old Time Fiddle – Alan has a long career as a musician, scholar, and preservationist of the traditional fiddle tunes of America. A violinist since age 7, he apprenticed under the authentic old time players of North Carolina and Virginia. In August 1976 he became the founding director of the American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress, continuing in that position for 23 years. In celebration of his retirement, he has resumed playing the fiddle more actively and is making appearances and engagements as a musician and fiddle teacher.

Shona Le Mottee, Cape Breton & Scottish Fiddle - A Vancouver resident for several years, Shona stated playing the fiddle at an early age on the island of Jersey in the English Channel where she was born.  Although she had a classical start, she soon fell in love with Celtic music and studied for 13 years at Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddle School.  She has toured professionally and played in various folk and Celtic festivals all over North America.  She’s been teaching for over 10 years, and she’s the founder and leader of the Vancouver Scottish Fiddle Club which is currently in it's 4th successful year.  “People have described my fiddle style as a blend of Scottish and Cape Breton, although I believe that it's really a West coast style of it's own that has been heavily influenced by the East coast style of Canada.”  She will be teaching both Scottish and Cape Breton style at RMFC.

Hank Troy, Piano - Hank has performed in Denver since 1971 when he began presenting concerts of ragtime and accompanying silent films.  His expertise became know statewide when he hosted for two seasons the TV musical variety show “Glenarm Place” and as host of “Ragtime With Hank Troy”, a long-running weekly radio show.  From 1981-98, he was pianist with the Queen City Jazz Band, and he now plays with the Alan Frederickson Jazz Ensemble.  He also performs with his own swing group, the Hank Troy Jazz Quartet.  In addition, Hank plays for stage shows and musical theater.  Hank composes music for television and radio and has written songs for children’s theater.  He has been teaching private piano lessons for 30 years.  His versatility as a pianist has allowed him to work with students on diverse repertoire, including classical, ragtime, jazz, blues, and pop.

Richard Greene, Bluegrass & Celtic Crossover Fiddle - In the words of one of his fellow fiddlers, Richard is "one of the most innovative and influential fiddle players of all time". Growing up in Los Angeles he dabbled in classical music until his encounter with the pyrotechnic fiddling of Scotty Stoneman which permanently changed his musical direction. He first attained prominence with Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys in 1966 as one of Monroe's first "northern" band members. His advanced technique and intense yet "cool" tone shocked audiences and prefigured such players as Jean-Luc Ponty and others, influencing a generation of fiddle players including Darol Anger, Alison Krauss and Stuart Duncan.  His latest CD is “Hands Across The Pond”, melodies from the British-American tradition. He currently leads seminars on all aspects of fiddling and violin playing nationwide, teaching courses at The Mancini Institute, the RockyGrass Academy, the Festival of Fiddle Tunes, the Mark O'Connor Fiddle Camp and dozens of workshops throughout the year.  Visit Richard's website. [Back to top]

Andy Stein, Swing Fiddle, is best known as the "Powder Milk Biscuit" fiddler on A Prairie Home Companion, where he has been a regular for eleven years. A founding member of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, he recorded and won a Grammy with Asleep at the Wheel, and has worked with a wide range of musicians, including Itzhak Perlman, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, André Watts, Mariah Carey, and Smashing Pumpkins. A native and resident of Manhattan, his arrangements and compositions have been performed by orchestras across the country, and he has composed film scores for Roger Corman and National Lampoon.  More about Andy. [Back to top]

Séamus Connolly, Irish Fiddle - Seamus, returning for his second year at RMFC, is one of the world's most respected master Irish musicians. A native of Killaloe, County Clare, Ireland, he now resides in Groton, Massachusetts. Séamus won the Irish National Fiddle Championship 10 times, a feat unequalled by any other musician. He was also the winner of the internationally acclaimed "Fiddler of Dooney" Competition. Séamus has had the honor of representing Ireland on three "Masters of the Folk Violin" tours organized by the National Council for the Traditional Arts. He has performed at most major festivals in the United States, including the National Folk Festival, Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife, Wolf Trap Irish Folk Festival and American Roots Fourth of July Celebration at the Washington Monument. He also performed on the "Folk Masters" radio series, which was broadcast nationwide on National Public Radio. As a performer, teacher and lecturer, he has traveled to places as far a field as Australia, Spain, France, England, Canada, Alaska, and Ireland.  Visit Séamus' Website. [Back to top]

Bruce Molsky, Appalachian Old Time Fiddle - One of the most influential old-time fiddlers around, Bruce is also a remarkable guitarist, banjoist and singer. His high-spirited music melds the archaic mountain sounds of Appalachia, the power of blues and the rhythmic intricacies of traditional African music. The Washington Post says Bruce's music "set[s] into motion melodies that radiate enormous spirit and momentum," and Sing Out! says his fiddling "combines precision and abandon so perfectly that it raises the hairs on the back of your neck."  Bruce is a highly sought-after fiddle and banjo teacher, teaches his own intensive fiddle workshop program all over the United States, and has taught at many camps and festivals. Visit Bruce's Website. [Back to top]

Sandy MacIntyre, Cape Breton Fiddle - Sandy was born in Cape Breton and was raised in a typically musical Cape Breton family.  Both his parents were fiddlers, and Sandy has been playing, recording, teaching and promoting traditional Cape Breton Fiddle music for over 40 years.  He has traveled extensively in Canada and has made trips to Scotland as well as the Shetland and Orkney Islands doing fiddle workshops and concerts.  He appeared for five years on the CBC National TV show “Ceilidh” from Halifax with other players such as Winnie Chafe, Buddy MacMaster, John Campbell, Cameron Chisholm, and Doug MacPhee. [Back to top]

Mary MacIntyre - Cape Breton Piano - Mary is Sandy’s talented sister, also steeped in the music and traditions of Cape Breton.  She has played Cape Breton piano all her life and is widely recognized as a sought-after accompanist. [Back to top]

Pat Donohue, Guitar, is "a masterful guitarist and talented singer-songwriter of blues, folk and jazz" (Los Angeles Times). His talents are displayed weekly in his appearances on public radio’s A Prairie Home Companion where his guitar playing writing and singing are featured regularly. The 1983 National Finger Picking Guitar Champion, Donohue’s style blends blues and folk in a critically acclaimed display of guitar artistry. Chet Atkins, Suzy Bogguss, Loose Ties and other national performers have recorded his original songs. He has been a featured performer at major music festivals, including the Newport Folk Festival, Telluride Festival, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and performs regularly in concerts and clubs around the country. Visit Pat's website. [Back to top]

Laura Risk, Scottish Fiddle - Laura's imaginatively expressive interpretations of Scottish, Irish, and Cape Breton fiddle music have garnered international acclaim. "A virtuoso fiddler. Her fluency in fiddle styles from Cape Breton to Appalachia is remarkable," raves The Boston Globe, while Folk Roots (U.K.) calls her playing "technically excellent and highly expressive." Says Grammy-winning filmmaker Ken Burns, "Laura Risk's fiddle is a revelation and achingly beautiful."  Laura has also performed with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and the American Bach Soloists. She has appeared at many of North America's most prestigious acoustic music festivals, including the Newport, Winnipeg, and Philadelphia Folk Festivals; Celtic Colors (Cape Breton Island); and City Stages (Birmingham, AL). She is in high demand as a fiddling instructor and has taught at the Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School, The Swannanoa Gathering and the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes.  Visit Laura's website. [Back to top]

Brian Conway, Irish Fiddler - New York born fiddler Brian Conway was the winner of two All- Ireland junior titles in 1973 and 1974 and the All-Ireland senior championship of 1986.  Brian's early studies were with his father, Jim, Limerick born fiddler/teacher Martin Mulvihill, and legendary fiddler and composer Martin Wynne, who taught him the real secrets of the County Sligo style.  In 1979, Brian recorded a duet album, The Apple In Winter (Green Linnet) with fellow New York fiddler Tony Demarco, and he is currently working on a new solo recording CD soon to be released on Smithsonian folkways.  He has recorded with many of the great Irish musicians of our time, including accordion player Joe Burke.  Brian is also featured on the CD, My Love is in America, recorded at the Boston College Irish Fiddle Festival, and on the documentary "Shore to Shore" which highlights traditional Irish music in New York.  Brian remains faithful to the rich tradition handed down to him.  The distinctness of his tone, the lift of his playing, and the deft ornamentation he brings to the tunes have placed him among the finest Irish fiddlers of any style, Sligo or otherwise.  He is also unusually gifted in the area of song accompaniment and is the favored fiddler of many traditional singers.  He is a noted instructor and has taught at Elkins, Swannanoa, Gaelic Roots and the Catskill Irish Arts Week. [Back to top]

Loretta Thompson, Fiddle & Gaelic Singing - A genuine and enthusiastic artist, Loretta's spontaneous nature charms audiences at home and abroad. She has been featured at festivals, music camps, and in concerts with many notable Celtic performers including the Tannahill Weavers, Cherish the Ladies, Natalie MacMaster, Alex Beaton, Alasdair Fraser, Jerry Holland, Donnie Macdonald, James Kelly, Ed Miller, Seamus Kennedy, and others. Loretta is a talented Scottish Gaelic singer and fiddler who has traveled and played extensively in Scotland and Ireland. Loretta arranges, directs, and composes music for all forms of Scottish and Irish dancing, and is a sought after educational performance artist. Currently finishing a degree in music education and conducting, Loretta is also a music teacher, performer, and recording artist. [Back to top]

Abby Newton, Cello - Returning for her third year at RMFC, Abby Newton is an unusually versatile cellist who is active in both the folk and classical music scenes. Over the past two decades, her association with Scottish musicians Jean Redpath and Alasdair Fraser has taken her on tours throughout Scotland and the US with special appearances on A Prairie Home Companion. For seven summers she has been the instructor of Scottish cello at Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddle School in California. Her teaching stresses the use of the cello both as a melodic and rhythmic instrument.   Visit Abby's Website. [Back to top]

Laurie Riley, Harp – Laurie will be offering her well known Harp Camp at RMFC this year.  Come experience seven days of intense and exciting harp instruction for all levels of skill and all styles of harp. Learn new tunes and new skills including left hand development, ornamentation, composition, improvisation, new rhythms, accompaniment techniques, memorization techniques, how to play faster easily, communicating emotion through music, ensemble playing, and much more! Lots of personal attention is given. All kinds and styles of harps are welcome.
Known for her ability to make a harp sound like a whole new instrument, Laurie can make it speak, make it laugh and cry. A professional musician since the age of ten, Laurie has toured throughout the US, in Canada, and in Ireland. She has recorded eleven albums of harp music, authored five books, and made five instructional videos. She also judges harp competitions and teaches for harp organizations in the US and abroad.  Visit Laurie's Website. [Back to top]

Ken Perlman, Banjo, Guitar – Ken is both a pioneer of the banjo style known as "melodic clawhammer," and a master of finger style guitar. He draws his material from traditional sources -- the music of Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island and the American South. He has written some of the most widely respected banjo and guitar instruction books of modern times, and he has been on staff at prestigious teaching festivals around the world. He has toured much of the world and made several recordings. Visit Ken's Website [Back to top]

Grey Larsen, Flute, Tin Whistle, Piano - Famous for his talent as a performer and teacher, Grey is also a composer and recording artist. He has taught at numerous camps and workshops around the country, including Lark in the Morning and Swannanoa. Grey has been music editor for Sing Out! magazine for many years.  Visit Grey's Website [Back to top]

Bonnie Carol - Hammer Dulcimer - "Bonnie is a wonderful, relaxing, encouraging, and excellent teacher. She had a nice mix of practice and performance tips, interesting music, clear handouts, and engaging teaching style. . . . I was honored to be in her class." - from students of Bonnie's 2001 Swannanoa Gathering Class. Bonnie is a dulcimer pioneer. She brings to the camp a perspective and knowledge of the developments of the dulcimer from the past 30 years. Expert on the hammered and fretted dulcimers, marimba, and percussion instruments, Bonnie brings experience and repertoire from contra dance, old-time, Celtic, African, and Latin American music. Bonnie has produced, recorded, and distributed five albums of her music, on which she plays the majority of the instruments. She put her knowledge of traditional music and dulcimers into the five books she authored. Most of the dulcimer contests across the nation have seen Bonnie win or place.  Visit Bonnie's Website. [Back to top]

Benedict Koehler, Uilleann Pipes - Born in Boston, Benedict grew up listening to recordings of Irish Traditional Music sent over by his Mother’s family in Dublin.  He took up the pipes in his twenties and has listened to and learned from a wide range of the older players, citing as particularly strong influences the stately musical tradition of East Galway and the complex and elegant piping style exemplified by Seamus Ennis and Liam O’Flynn.  Well known as an insightful and generous teacher, Benedict is also highly regarded for his skills as a pipe maker and reed maker.  He lives in Vermont with his wife, harper Hilari Farrington. [Back to top]

Jennifer Oberg Sordyl, Beginning Fiddle - Jennifer was literally "raised in the music business" along with her 8 brothers and sisters in the family music store in the Midwest. These days you'll find her enthusiastically teaching fiddle and beginning violin at three rural charter schools in Southern Arizona. She especially loves teaching the Montessori preschoolers and their parents, in the arts community of Tubac, where she sponsors regular jam sessions and as well as playing professionally with an "eclectic-traditional" string band at a local Bistro. [Back to top]

Who is here which week?  The schedule is still being finalized, so this might change, but here's what we know so far:
First Week (August 11-18):  Alan Jabbour, Richard Greene, Andy Stein, Pat Donohue, Sandy MacIntyre, Mary MacIntyre, Laura Risk, Abby Newton, Loretta Thompson, Ken Perlman, Grey Larsen, Bonnie Carol, Benedict Koehler, Jennifer Oberg.
Second Week (August 18-25):  Richard Greene, Bruce Molsky, Seamus Connolly, Shona Le Mottee, Hank Troy, Grey Larsen, Ken Perlman, Laurie Riley, Jennifer Oberg, and more!. [Back to top]