General Admission $15
($13 Opera House Members)
Folk in Fredonia Music Series
Featured in the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Canadian fiddler and stepdancer April Verch is a young dynamo credited with introducing roots music to a whole new audience.
Ontario's Ottawa Valley is steeped in cultural history including a musical style and stepdancing heritage influenced by the French, Irish, Scottish, Polish and German settlers of this Canadian region. Verch, a modern pioneer of this tradition is emerging as one of the top female artists in the roots music genre. She has built a repertoire rich in original tunes influenced deeply by the treasure chest of musical jewels passed down through the generations. Her fiddling and stepdancing styles were shaped by the diverse roots of the immigrants drawn to the region's lumber camps in the mid-1800s.
Verch knew as a young girl that she wanted to play fiddle and dance for a living, and by the time she finished high school, she had recorded her first two self-released albums and was touring full time. She studied at Boston's Berklee College of Music and simultaneously captured two fiddling championships - Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion and Canadian Open Fiddle Champion.
April Verch (center) in the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter OlympicsIn addition to her fiddling virtuosity and remarkable stepdancing, April has become a soulful songstress, using her vocals to draw the listener into her wistful and evocative lyrics. April's musical tastes continue to grow and evolve, and adding vocals to her repertoire has given even more interest and depth to her performances.
The April Verch Band, with April at the helm on fiddle, delivers richly textured phrasing on traditional roots tunes, bluegrass and newgrass melodies, jazz-influenced compositions and country music all in one electrifying performance. When April trades her fiddling for the rhythmic art of stepdancing, the band takes on the sound of the old lumber camp halls where those without instruments created rhythms with their feet. The metal taps on April's shoes generate exhilarating cadences that enhance her traditional Ottawa Valley arrangements.
"Her style, technique and sheer virtuosity rivals anyone who's ever held a bow. Verch is capable of delivering a variety of material from Carter Family classics to contemporary songs with verve and innovative energy ... a unique mix of old-fashioned and modern sensibilities to make every song special." -- Vintage Guitar magazine
