Thursday, April 3, 2025
Folkmoot Friendship Center
112 Virginia Avenue, Waynesville, NC
Andrew Finn Magill & David McKindley-Ward: Pure Drop Traditional Irish Music
Folkmoot LIVE! is thrilled to present an evening of Pure Drop Traditional Irish Music. Join us for the soul stiring sounds of Andrew Finn Magill & David McKindley-Ward.
Andrew Finn Magill is an award-winning multi-genre fiddler/violinist. He is a Fulbright fellow, North Carolina Arts Council Fellow and an award-winning composer. Finn has been featured on PBS, MTV, TEDx, Avianca in-flight entertainment and multiple times on NPR's The Thistle & Shamrock. His 2016 album Roots (featuring Cillian Vallely of Lúnasa and John Doyle) debuted at number #46 on the folk DJ charts. He has toured internationally and headlined several Irish festivals.
Award winning musician and singer, David McKindley-Ward has made a name for himself as a recording and touring multi-instrumentalist in the folk, roots and traditional music scenes across the US, Ireland and the UK. He is a regular performer and instructor at Irish music teaching festivals including O’Flaherty’s Irish Retreat, Atlanta Irish Fest, Baltimore Tradfest, Celtic Fest Mississippi, the Ashokan Center, The Philadelphia Céilí Group Traditional Irish music and Dance Weekend, the Augusta Irish Retreat and the Catskills Irish Arts Week. In the fall of 2024 he released a double album with longtime friend, collaborator and songwriter Letitia VanSant called The Eye of the Storm.
Folkmoot LIVE! Concerts
The 2025 Folkmoot LIVE! concerts will feature an exciting array of performances that showcase diverse cultures and musical traditions. This year's lineup is set to captivate audiences with a remarkable range of talented artists and engaging performances that celebrate community and artistic expression. Attendees can anticipate unforgettable evenings filled with rhythms and melodies that narrate stories of heritage and unity, making this event essential for music lovers and cultural enthusiasts alike.
Folkmoot LIVE! is your destination for outstanding culturally inspired performances in Western North Carolina.
This project is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and Haywood County Arts Council.
May 22 ,2025
Las Montañitas - A Latin American Musical Experience
Folkmoot LIVE! is pleased to present Las Montañitas bringing the Andes to the Appalachians. Drawing heavily from the Chicha Cumbia scene that emerged in Peru in the late 1960s, featuring psychedelic surf guitar tone, Afro-Colombian dance grooves, and Andean inspired melodies.
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June 19, 2025
Upstream Rebellion - Sizzling Homegrown Bluegrass
Folkmoot LIVE! is excited to present Sizzling Homegrown Bluegrass featuring Upstream Rebellion, a high-energy bluegrass band from Western North Carolina, blending the rich traditions of Appalachian music with a modern, innovative edge yielding an unforgettable sound. With driving instrumentals, tight harmonies and heartfelt storytelling, they deliver dynamic performances that captivate audiences. Rooted in tradition yet unafraid to push boundaries, Upstream Rebellion embodies the spirit of bluegrass while bringing a fresh twist to the genre.
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September 18, 2025
Peter Mawanga Trio - Malawian Traditional Music: The Voice of Nyanja Afro-Vibes
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October 16, 2025
Free Planet Radio - A Celebration of World Music
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November 13, 2025
Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue - A Night of Hot Bluegrass
Folkmoot LIVE! is pleased to present A Night of Hot Bluegrass featuring Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue delivering dynamic Bluegrass, Americana and roots music with a contemporary flair, steeped in tradition while balancing a cutting edge sound. Prepare yourself for an engaging experience sure to keep your toes tapping and spirits dancing. This incredible trio includes composer and multi-instrumentalist, Rudy Cortese, a five time Four Corner States banjo champion who has been performing on stage since the age of twelve.
Elizabeth Kronlage will delight your senses on tenor guitar, cello and harmony vocals. Elizabeth and Rudy were the 2019 duet vocalist winners of the Four Corner States Bluegrass Festival Championships. Rounding out the trio is Chris Carter on upright bass, a Madison County native steeped in the Appalachian bluegrass music scene for more than twenty years. Join us for a true bluegrass mountain experience.
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December 11, 2025
Eireann’s Call - A Kilted Christmas
Folkmoot LIVE! presents A Kilted Christmas with Eireann's Call. Join them as they whisk audiences away to Celtic lands far and near to celebrate holiday traditions with powerful and stirring arrangements of seasonal music. Racing fiddle tunes, powerful bagpipe melodies, soaring vocals, rocked up tribal drumming and wicked grooves combined with dancers and a dramatic narrative, create a magical holiday experience. It has played to sell-out crowds for years - come and enjoy the magic of the season!
Past Folkmoot LIVE! Concerts
Zoe & Cloyd - An Evening of Bluegrass/Klezmer Fusion
Folkmoot LIVE! proudly presents the innovative “klezgrass” music of Zoe & Cloyd that springs from the rich traditions and complementary styles of fiddler/vocalist Natalya Zoe Weinstein and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist John Cloyd Miller with special guest, Kevin Kehrberg on bass.
Based in Asheville, NC, Zoe & Cloyd delight audiences with soaring harmonies and heartfelt songwriting, seamlessly combining original bluegrass, klezmer, old-time and folk with sincerity and zeal.
Larry & Joe - Venezuelan/Appalachian Fusion
Folkmoot LIVE! presents the sensational Venezuelan-Appalachian folk fusion duo, Larry Bellorín & Joe Troop. Larry is a living legend of música llanera, the traditional music of the Venezuelan plains. Joe is an old-time musician and former bandleader of GRAMMY-nominated Latingrass ensemble Che Apalache. The duo offers a joyous bilingual (English/Español) program of virtuosic folk fusion music, storytelling and dancing. Larry & Joe made their Kennedy Center debut last September and appeared on NPR's Here & Now in November, just two of the many highlights from their 2023 tour.
Folkmoot LIVE! presents An Evening of Eastern Culture featuring “Asian Soundscapes” created by world renowned Min Xiao-Fen. Prepare yourself for extraordinary performances by Min Xiao-Fen on the Chinese pipa, Mari Ohta on the Japanese koto, Thom Nguyen on percussion and the Warren Wilson College Gamelan Ensemble with classical Javanese dancer, Dr. Siti Kusujiarti.
Asian Soundscapes - An Evening of Eastern Culture
Eireann’s Call - A Celtic Rock Experience
Folkmoot LIVE! proudly presents Eireann’s Call, a powerful ensemble performing traditional Celtic tunes with amazing grooves and sizzling arrangements. Prepare to be swept away by a lush soundscape that invokes the spirit of Ireland, Scotland and everything Celtic. With songs that are rollicking, funny, poignant and sacred, this concert promises something for everyone. A unique North Carolina-based band, Eireann’s Call weaves together Irish, Scottish, Scandinavian and World music traditions to create an unforgettable feast for the senses.
The Well Drinkers - Homegrown Bluegrass
In conjunction with Haywood County’s Carolina Heritage Weekend, Folkmoot LIVE! is pleased to present The Well Drinkers. Prepare to be energized by this progressive, original bluegrass band based out of Western North Carolina. Having shared the stage with the likes of Molly Tuttle, Ketch Secor, Balsam Range and many more, they are a consistent force in the Western North Carolina bluegrass scene.
Maritzaida & Raices Emma Erwin - An Evening of Latin Culture
Blue Pipa Trio - From Harlem to Shanghai and Back
Folkmoot LIVE! is proud to present the Blue Pipa Trio, "From Harlem to Shanghai and Back," a dynamic fusion of jazz history and Chinese tradition. Led by Min Xiao-Fen, one of the world’s great pipa soloists, and joined by the powerhouse Asheville-based duo of guitarist/composer Jay Sanders and bassist Zack Page, this project takes you to the Golden Age of jazz in Shanghai during the 1930s, when Buck Clayton’s Kansas City Swing intertwined with the pioneering melodies of Li Jinhui, the father of Chinese popular music. Read more below.
In an exploration of lost musical legends, Ms. Min weaves together the vibrant sounds of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and her own unique compositions. Blending jazz with the rich tones of traditional Chinese instruments like the pipa, ruan, and sanxian, Min creates a sound both timeless and groundbreaking. The trio’s innovative sound honors the past while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in jazz today. This debut is more than a performance—it's a cultural odyssey, where swing, improvisation, and passion converge to captivate jazz lovers and adventurous listeners alike.
Folkmoot LIVE! is excited to present Maritzaida whose professional music career began while singing for U.S. Air Force Bands and touring internationally alongside her husband and guitarist, Aaron Weibe. Their sounds resurrect the classic style of traditional bolero music with the authenticity of past generations, bringing it to a global audience in the modern age. Enjoy the timeless melodies of Latin America's romantic heritage. Please join us as we welcome Maritzaida and Aaron to our stage.
Raices Emma Erwin offers a celebration of the traditional music and dance of Latin America! Their mission is to build greater awareness and understanding of Latino culture through the arts and bring unity to our diverse communities through the beauty and fun of traditional Latin American music and dance. Raices Emma Erwin a non-profit organization that works with youth from the community of Emma/Erwin and surrounding areas. One of the programs is the Ballet Folklórico that disseminates among our youth, the culture and dances of the regions of Latin America.
Folkmoot LIVE! proudly presents Michael Fitzpatrick, a world renowned American cellist and composer. His concert will feature his own ‘Invocation of the Earth,’ classical favorites, folk songs and selections from the popular songbook. Fitzpatrick has been called an innovator, a synergist and a musical diplomat. He has planted himself in the forefront of a movement that encourages world peace through music, something he sees as the musical wave of the future.
Hailed by the New York Times as possessing “virtuosity and an ear for musical dialogue” and by NPR as “an interpreter of the Muse,” Mr. Fitzpatrick has performed the Musical Keynotes for the Dalai Lama's public talks and for Pope Francis' Blessing Ceremony at The Vatican. He has performed in the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, India, Australia, and numerous tours across the United States and Canada. Fitzpatrick has performed as cello soloist at the Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center, Town Hall, and the Aspen Music Festival. Fitzpatrick is the founder of MILLENIA MUSIC, which brings healing music to people in need worldwide.
Folkmoot LIVE! is pleased to present the Black Sea Beat Society. They bring traditional Balkan, Turkish, and Middle Eastern music and perform it with a rock & roll spirit in Western North Carolina and beyond. This high energy band has a wide ranging repertoire, moving from Balkan Brass, to Turkish Psychedelic, to Middle Eastern classics, to Klezmer tunes. Featuring accordion, a horn section, telecaster guitar, and drums. The Black Sea Beat Society takes the time to learn about the roots of the songs, studying the cultures and source recordings in an effort to bring you truly authentic and traditional music of Eurasia.
Folkmoot LIVE! is pleased to present An African Cultural Experience highlighting two phenomenal acts that are sure to please your musical palate and stimulate your brain. Join us for a rare opportunity to hear the joyous sounds of Percussion Discussion Afrika, a powerful band currently touring the US from Uganda. Enjoy the sweet sounds of Diali Keba Cissokho, a renowned Korist and percussionist from Senegal. This collaboration truly embodies the spirt of Folkmoot. This will be an eclectic evening of international performances.
Percussion Discussion Afrika - An Evening of African Culture
Black Sea Beat Society - An Evening of Eurasian Culture
Michael Fitzpatrick - A Celebration of World Peace
Eireann’s Call - A Kilted Christmas
Folkmoot LIVE! presents A Kilted Christmas with Eireann's Call. Join them as they whisk audiences away to Celtic lands far and near to celebrate holiday traditions with powerful and stirring arrangements of seasonal music. Racing fiddle tunes, powerful bagpipe melodies, soaring vocals, rocked up tribal drumming and wicked grooves combined with dancers and a dramatic narrative, create a magical holiday experience. It has played to sell-out crowds for years - come and enjoy the magic of the season!
Folkmoot LIVE! Concerts
Folkmoot LIVE! is a performance series featuring the finest musicians, dancers and storytellers working today!
Folkmoot LIVE! is your destination for the most interesting cultural performances in Western North Carolina.
This project is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Thank you to our sponsors:
