Winston-Salem Dulcimer Festival

 
Karen Ashbrook

With her delicate touch, trademark shimmering lilt and ear for authentic ornamentation, Karen Ashbrook is considered one of the finest Irish hammered dulcimer players anywhere. She has several recordings both solo and with the group Ceoltoiri, on the Maggie's Music label. Playing the Hammered Dulcimer in the Irish Tradition book/CD set on Oak Publications, is a standard text in dulcimer literature. She appears at numerous folk music camps and festivals around the country. Performance highlights include RTE 1-Irish National Television, the Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic, and playing at the White House for President Bill Clinton. Karen also plays with Cabaret Sauvignon. Check out her 4/13/01 performance at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. Karen's newest CD "Spring Will Come." is a live recording featuring her 30th anniversary as a dulcimer player, teacher and advocate, and celebrates her rich musical partnerships with Ceoltoiri, David Scheim (King David's Harp, Hills of Erin) and Pavilion 3.

 
Ken Bloom

Ken has given solo concerts all over North America since 1974. These have included appearances at many major Folk Festivals and clubs in the U.S. and Canada. In the past he has been a regular performer at the Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Owen Sound, Philadelphia, and Mariposa Festivals as well as appearing in major venues across the country and appearances on A Prairie Home Companion. More recently, his appearances have been closer to home.

 
Linda Brockinton

Linda Brockinton hales from Little Rock, Arkansas. She has been playing and promoting the dulcimer for the last 20 years. She was a flute major in college and played with the Arkansas Symphony for 3 years. Linda loves the softer side of the dulcimer . She is primarily a fingerpicker playing the chord melody style on the dulcimer much like classical guitar. She won the National Dulcimer Championship in 2001 and has been teaching all styles of dulcimer playing in her home and at festivals across the country. She is very interested in the use of the dulcimer in hospital, nursing home and hospice situations and also in the up and coming interest of small ensemble groups of dulcimers playing different parts together. She has 9 CDs and 7 Books to her credit. She loves teaching the dulcimer and helping people understand the instrument better which will make their playing easier and a lot more fun.

 
Joe Collins

National Champion mountain dulcimer player, began playing the mountain dulcimer in the late 70s in coffeehouses, churches, and schools. As an instrument of praise to his God and entertainment for others, the dulcimer quickly became an important part of Joe's life. Since that time he has written several books of dulcimer music, produced 4 CDs, and has performed across the country in a number of different venues. In September of 2007, he won the title of National Champion at Winfield, KS.

 
Jeff Furman

Jeff is a multi-instrumentalist (mountain dulcimer, clawhammer banjo, guitar, autoharp, and string bass) who has been playing old-time music since 1980. Primarily a banjo player for many years, Jeff developed a rhythmic and melodic style of playing which has heavily influenced his dulcimer playing. He has an extensive repertoire of old-time fiddle music which crosses over to a strong interest in Celtic music. Jeff has performed individually, along with his wife, Janet, and with several old-time string bands at numerous fiddle festivals, public and private concerts, public schools, and dances throughout the Carolinas, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, and Ohio. He has played on multiple recordings including music from Ireland, Scotland, the Appalachian Mountains, and American folk tunes. Jeff has been the Champion Mountain Dulcimer player at the Fiddler’s Grove Festival in Union Grove, NC numerous times and has also won awards on the mountain dulcimer at the prestigious Old Fiddler’s Convention in Galax, Virginia. Jeff’s playing has been described as fluid and expressive, and, in his hands the mountain dulcimer becomes an instrument capable of creating a wide array of moods, emotions, and feelings.

 
Marya Katz

In addition to performing with Simple Gifts, Marya has worked with a group of several Blacksburg musicians who are trying to "build a house with music" – all the proceeds from their recordings are donated to Habitat for Humanity. Marya has two self-published books of her tunes, Dulcimations I and II. She is a National Board Certified elementary music teacher, and also directs the adult choir for her church. Along with the Winston-Salem festival and the Swannanoa Gathering, Marya has been a regularly-scheduled workshop leader for the Cranberry Dulcimer Gathering in Binghamton, NY. Her newest CD "Between Sunset and Stars" features a collage of her compositions.

 
Anne Lough

Anne's excellence as a performer, teacher and demonstrator, combined with dedication to the preserving and sharing of our wonderful heritage of traditional music bring a rare and unique quality to every presentation. In addition to being a frequent instructor in mountain and hammered dulcimer at the prestigious John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC., Anne has taught at the Swannanoa Gathering, Western Carolina Dulcimer Week, Augusta Heritage Dulcimer Week and at numerous other festivals and workshops throughout the country.

 
Fiona McAllister

Fiona McAllister lives in Sherrills Ford, NC. She finished her first dulcimer CD in 2003 and has played over 150 solo performances including weddings, festivals, cultural centers, museums, schools and churches. Previously she performed for 3 years as a vocalist and instrumentalist with the group "Shepherds Pie". She made her debut live radio performance on WXIE in 2006 playing original hammered dulcimer material. She was Hammered Dulcimer champion at Fiddlers Grove and workshop instructor. She is also a songwriter and co-ordinator of the 300 member Nashville Songwriters Association International Charlotte. A multi-instrumentalist, she plays hammered dulcimer, guitar, piano, djembe, penny whistle, harp and others. She is currently working on a second CD project of original material including dulcimer/vocal pieces, and promoting her songs to TV/movie industry.

 
Jem Moore

With one of the most unique styles in the dulcimer world, Jem Moore has been charting new ground for over 25 years. He has tackled monumental classical pieces like the Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Bach, and created haunting, poly-rhythmic original compositions that have been featured on nationally syndicated shows like NPR's Echoes. His performances have included top-tier folk festivals like Philadelphia and Winnipeg, and an entire roster of dulcimer festivals around the country. With 15 albums and tours in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, Jem continues to inspire audiences around the world.

 
Paul Oorts

A native Belgian, Paul performs on harp guitar, mandolin, cittern, and musette accordion with his wife Karen Ashbrook and other nationally known dulcimer players including Steve Schneider and Maggie Sansone. He enjoys playing for contra and English country dances. He also teaches Italian at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore.

 
Jeff Sebens

Jeff Sebens brings a varied educational background to his dulcimer teaching. From an early training in classical music to experience teaching history and industrial arts, he has melded these experiences into a love and appreciation for both the lap and hammered dulcimers. Jeff is a founding father of the Winston-Salem Dulcimer Festival, and many of us enjoy instruments he has built. He handcrafts a variety of musical instruments, as well as keeping an active schedule with festivals, workshops, and Elderhostels.

 
Wayne Seymour

Wayne Seymour was born in Alabama, and grew up all over the South. His grandfather, L.F. Watson of Demorest , GA., was a fiddler and a shape note singer and when he was a young man he was a teacher at shape note "singing schools" . Wayne is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, jew's harp, and of course, the dulcimer. He has taught at the Dulcimer Playing Workshop at Appalachian State University, Dulcimer Week at Western Carolina University, both Old-Time and Dulcimer Weeks at the Swannanoa Gathering at Warren Wilson College, The Winston-Salem Dulcimer Festival, the North Georgia Foothills Dulcimer Association Festival and Unicoi State Park and many other festivals and seminars. Wayne is noted for his humor and skills as a raconteur as well as his musical skills and his relaxed, humorous teaching style. Since 2001, he has worked as a composer and music director for the NC Touring Theater Ensemble, bringing the dulcimer to a wide variety of theater audiences.

 
Ruth Smith

A native North Carolinian, Ruth's many years of classical training give her a special touch, and she is recognized for her delicate, expressive style on the hammered dulcimer. Her original music has been featured on NPR, Dulcimer Players News, and was chosen by XM Satellite Radio as “The Best Music This Week on XM” in 2006. Ruth performs professionally with her husband, Steve, and their recordings have been featured on Fiona Ritchie’s Thistle and Shamrock, and are regularly heard on XM Satellite Radio, Direct TV music channels, airlines coast-to-coast, as well as Celtic Radio, Highlander radio, Celtic Moon, and Sweetwater Folk online radio. A music education major, Ruth has taught music for years including recent years at The Dulcimer Jamboree and Workshops at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, AR. Ruth and Steve play original and traditional Celtic Appalachian music, and live in the Blue Ridge mountains near Boone, NC.