Trad Talk
Our ongoing series of performances and conversations with musicians from around the world
Upcoming Trad Talk Events:
Previous Trad Talk Events:
Sam Sweeney
Sam Sweeney has been called “one of the defining English fiddle players of his generation” (Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2), “Britain’s Premiere fiddler” (Songlines), and “the fiddler with the Midas touch… an English equivalent of the great Irish fiddle player Martin Hayes” (The Guardian). He is a founder and member of the ground-breaking trio Leveret and a veteran of the mighty Bellowhead, in addition to his highly acclaimed solo work. Nominated four times for, and in 2015 winner of, Musician Of The Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Sam has been at the forefront of the revival in English music for the last fifteen years. He is also a passionate and experienced educator, and served as inaugural Artistic Director of the National Youth Folk Ensemble.
Sam’s most recent genre-defying new solo album “Escape That,” is his first entirely self-composed record. It ties together all of Sam’s musical passions; an honest and fearless expression of himself, combining pop hooks and aesthetics with his pioneering work in the world of traditional dance tunes.
Lena Jonsson
In the new generation of contemporary folk music, Lena Jonsson is one of Scandinavia’s most influential fiddlers. Lena’s style is unique in combining her deep knowledge of traditional Swedish folk music and the youthful sounds of rock, pop, jazz, American old-time and bluegrass. Her inspired style earned her a Swedish Grammis nomination for her premier album “Places” (2019), and her follow-up album, ”Stories from the Outside” (2021), won both a Swedish Grammis and the Manifest prize. Lena has performed for Barack Obama as well as Greta Thunberg, and in 2023 her trio won “Artist of the Year” at the Folk and World Music Awards. Lena joined MCMC for a Trad Talk in November 2023, where she shared her thoughts and insights on Scandinavian traditional music, tune-writing, performing and more with her trademark ebullient charm and charisma.
Brittany Haas
In April 2023, we were joined by Brittany Haas, who is widely regarded as one of the most influential fiddlers of her generation. A prodigious fiddler, she began touring with Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings at the age of fourteen. Among her many projects, she is a member of the quartet Hawktail (featuring bassist Paul Kowert, guitarist Jordan Tice, and mandolinist Dominick Leslie), and in 2023 she joined the Punch Brothers (featuring mandolinist Chris Thile, bassist Paul Kowert, guitarist Chris “Critter” Eldridge and banjo player Noam Pikelny). Our conversation with Brittany ranged from Suzuki violin lessons and youth music camps to Scandinavian music jams in college to performing with internationally acclaimed musical acts like Crooked Still and Hawktail.
STUNDOM
In November 2022, we were treated to conversation with, and music by, the lovely Danish trio Stundom. The music of Stundom is Nordic in its essence: Inspired by the traditional dance music from their ancestors, mixed with classical chamber music tradition and several modern symphonic elements. With a blend of the cittern, the violin and the piano Emma Elmøe, Villads Hoffmann and Julian Svejgaard share a unique musical chemistry and ability to create capturing melodies. Joining us from a luthier’s workshop in Copenhagen, the trio shared about their musical upbringing, their approaches to writing and performing music and their musical influences.
Hartwin and Ward Dhoore
We were joined by Belgian musicians Hartwin and Ward Dhoore in March 2022. Hartwin and Ward grew up in a family “where making music was encouraged and folk music was never far away.” Hartwin, Ward and their brother Koen for several years comprised Trio Dhoore, an acclaimed Belgian “new trad” trio. Trio Dhoore has received a lot of buzz for their innovative, modern take on traditional folk music, and won the 2021 Best Album award in the Flanders Folk Awards for their album August. In 2022, Hartwin and Ward formed a duo called Siger, featuring Hartwin on diatonic button accordion and Ward on cittern. We discussed with the brothers what it was like growing up in a musical family and then transitioning into professional musicians, as well as what motivates them and how they juggle their seemingly endless list of projects.
DREAMERs’ Circus
The Danish trio Dreamers’ Circus is a driving force in Nordic world music and one of the most talked about folk acts anywhere right now. The group features virtuoso fiddler and violinist Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen (also of the Danish String Quartet), accordionist and pianist Nikolaj Busk, and Ale Carr, cittern player and fiddler and former clog fiddle world champion. Contemporary and endlessly innovative in their approach, they draw inspiration from the deep traditions of folk music in the region and reshape them into something bright, shiny and new.
Dreamers’ Circus views their traditional roots as a point of departure and know tradition should not be a straitjacket. This adventurous attitude, coupled with their outstanding musicianship, has brought the band to the forefront of the Nordic folk and world music scene. In addition to treating us to one of their tunes from their tunebook “Handed On”, Rune, Ale and Nikolaj chatted with us about their earliest music experiences, the role of music in building community and connections and their approach reshaping traditional music into something new and innovative.
Stay In The Loop
Be one of the first to hear about new Trad Talk events and more!