Performing Arts Series
Join us for 4 different Performing Arts Performances in 2026! From an A Cappella group, to Irish Step Dancers, and a Traditional Fiddle Player, and finally a String Quartet.
Windborne - A Cappella
Friday, January 30th at 6:30pm
Kearsarge Regional High School, Sutton
Touring worldwide, Windborne’s captivating show draws on the singers’ deep roots in traditions of vocal harmony, while the absolute uniqueness of their artistic approach brings old songs into the present. Known for the innovation of their arrangements, their harmonies are bold and anything but predictable.
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With a 20-year background studying polyphonic music around the world, the award winning quartet of Lauren Breunig, Jeremy Carter-Gordon, Lynn Rowan, and Will Rowan share a vibrant energy onstage with a blending of voices that can only come from decades of friendship alongside dedicated practice. The ensemble shifts effortlessly between drastically different styles of music, drawing their audience along on a journey that spans continents and centuries, illuminating and expanding on the profound power and variation of the human voice. The singers educate as they entertain, sharing stories about their songs and explaining the context and characteristics of the styles in which they sing.
An Irish Celebration of Dance and Music
Saturday, March 7th at 3:30pm
Whipple Hall, New London
Award winning McGonagle Dancers, have competed successfully at the regional, national, and world level, securing numerous titles over the years and have performed across New England for numerous audiences, including the NH and MA governors.
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Led by Ashlyn Rockwell Muse, ADCRG who reached the highest level of competitive dancing, attending both regional and North American National Championships and has passed on her skill and passion for Irish dance to the MSoID students ever since. Founded by Brenda Hamilton Coleman, TCRG an accomplished Irish Step Dancer who trained at the world-renowned Smith-Houlihan Academy of Irish Dance, and was a New England Regional Champion and team dancer who won six consecutive national titles for figure choreography.
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Jane Orzechowski is a fiddler of exemplary talent, skilled in Swedish, French Canadian, Irish, Scottish, and New England musical genres and history. She is an integral part of New Hampshire’s folk heritage and well-respected by her peers. Throughout her career, Jane has sought to bring new talent to these traditional music disciplines, supporting and mentoring younger performers in their quest to preserve and expand these musical works and their heritage.
Patrick Ross - Fiddle and More!
Thursday, April 9th at 7:00pm
Fleming Center at the New London Barn Playhouse, New London
A fiddler since age 5, Patrick Ross knows what it means to be a music-loving kid. As one of Vermont's busiest acoustic roots musicians, he has brought traditional music to audiences of all ages, always giving it a fresh, captivating feel.
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A DJ, composer, singer and producer as well as superb multi-instrumentalist, Ross is the very model of the modern traditional musician! He won the Vermont-State Fiddle Championship at age 14 and has been performing professionally since age 19, when he joined Smokin' Grass, a Vermont bluegrass band that blended elements of folk and roots rock.
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Now in his mid 30s, Ross has toured with a variety of music ensembles, worked in Nashville with a Celtic band, performed at the Grand Ole Opry and the Kennedy Center for the Arts in Washington, D.C., and shared stages with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Paul McCartney. He's established himself as one of Vermont's top session musicians. His solo concerts include a worldwide range of fiddle styles as well as songs he has written for guitar, banjo, mandolin and cello.
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Said Robert Resnik, host of Vermont Public Radio's All the Traditions, "It's not just the technical expertise or the mastery of an amazing variety of styles that puts Vermont fiddler Patrick Ross several steps above and beyond practically all other players; Ross's eclectic taste and raw energy make sparks and create musical magic every time his bow hits the strings."
Rasa String Quartet
Thursday, May 14th at 7:00pm
First Baptist Church, New London
Rasa String Quartet explores the musical space where classical and folk traditions intersect and influence one another. By exploring the connection between music and storytelling at the heart of folk traditions, Rasa String Quartet delivers fresh, engaging performances that blend classical elegance with folk whimsy, celebrate global traditions, and elevate lesser-known composers.
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The Boston-based ensemble brings together violinists Emma Powell and Maura Shawn Scanlin, violist Kiyoshi Hayashi, and cellist Mina Kim, graduates of the New England Conservatory, the Shepherd School of Music, and Yale University. The quartet has earned top prizes at competitions including Chamber Music in Yellow Springs, Plowman Chamber Music Competition, MTNA Chamber Music Competition, and the Associazione Europea di Musica e Comunicazione (Italy). They’ve also served as ensemble-in-residence at Phillips Exeter Academy.
