The Charlotte Folk Society is very
pleased to present Canadian fiddle
and stepdancing champion April
Verch in her premier Charlotte
concert. Join us on Friday, November
21, at 8 PM, in the Great
Aunt Stella Center, 926 Elizabeth
Avenue for an unforgettable evening.
Advance tickets are $15 for
adults and $10 for ages 15 and
younger. Tickets
purchased at the
door will cost $17
for adults and $12
for those 15 and
younger. CFS members
are encouraged
to buy tickets in advance
at Folk Society
events or online here
In just a few years, April Verch has risen to a place of prominence on the North American acoustic music circuit.
A student of stepdancing at age three and a novice fiddler at six, she released her first two CDs
before graduating from high school. Not yet thirty, this virtuoso has won dozens of fiddle contests
and is the only Canadian woman to have taken first place in both the Canadian Grand Masters
(1997) and Canadian Open (1998) competitions.
She has recently conquered the United States, as well, playing at most major folk,
Celtic, and bluegrass festivals and at such celebrated venues as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
She also shares her expertise as a fiddle instructor at prestigious workshops such as the Swannanoa Gathering
and Mark O'Connor's Fiddle Camp.
April Verch has released seven recordings to date, and her 2001 all-instrumental Rounder Records release
entitled Verch-uosity earned a JUNO nomination the Canadian equivalent to a Grammy for Best
Roots/Traditional Album. Steal the Blue is her 2008 release and it showcases her considerable vocal talents.
Familiar names such as Tim Stafford, Sam Bush, Steve Gulley, Craig Market, Larry Cordle, Ron Block,
Melonie Cannon, and Patty Mitchell are among the songwriters and harmony vocalists on this CD.
Though her musical roots lie deep in the fiddling of her native Ottawa Valley, April
Verch's repertoire also features traditional and contemporary tunes ranging in source and inspiration
from Quebecois to the Appalachians, from bluegrass to Brazilian. Renowned, too, for her mastery of the high
energy Ottawa Valley stepdancing style, the April Verch Band's blend of driving fiddle
playing, dynamic step dancing, and sweet soprano vocals never fails to bring down the house. Band members
include her husband, Marc Bru, on bodhran and backup vocals, as well as Cody Walters on
bass and Lincoln Meyers on guitar.
Visit www.aprilverch.com for links to video performances.
This concert is made possible, in part, through a Cultural Project Grant from the Arts
& Science Council and the Grassroots Program of the North Carolina Arts Council.
