Name: Breabach – Music from Scotland
Start: 2024-10-06T19:00:00
Location: Blackstone River Theatre

Megan Henderson

James Lindsay

Calum Maccrimmon

Conal Mcdonagh

Ewan Robertson

Breabach

Blackstone River Theatre

Today’s matinee concert will be presented with two sets and will feature special guest Fishel Michael Bresler! Multi-instrumentalists Cathy Clasper-Torch and Shelley Katsh bring years of music making and friendship to a virtuoso collaboration of musicianship and spirit. Their repertoire, as heard on their previous CD, “From the Inside Out” as well as on their 2024 CD “With Woven Hands” is infused with melodies ancient and contemporary – played “straight from the heart.” Clasper-Torch performs violin, cello, erhu and piano with a diverse range of RI-based bands and musicians, and has recorded on over 3 dozen albums. Cathy has also been the fiddle instructor at Blackstone River Theatre since 2006. Shelley Katsh, on piano and accordion, performed klezmer and Hassidic music with Fishel Bresler and a range of Boston-based klezmer musicians for 20 years. She currently accompanies and sings with several Rhode Island musical groups. Click link for video clip! IMG_1706 Cathy and Shelley will be joined today by Fishel Bresler on clarinet, flute, mandolin, guitar. After performing in venues from the street to Carnegie Hall in styles from bluegrass to vaudeville, Fishel studied klezmer clarinet and mandolin with recognized master Andy Statman. He has toured with mandolinist David Grisman’s ensemble, and spent thousands of hours in Chassidic communities collecting tunes and absorbing the music in its natural setting. For the past four decades, in addition to performing, he has been providing therapeutic music in settings such as Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

Cathy Clasper-Torch & Shelley Katsh

Multistyle violinist and champion fiddler Mari Black delights audiences around the world with her energetic playing, sparkling stage presence, and virtuosic fiddling. Raised on a rich blend of traditional musical styles, Mari burst onto the international stage when she became Scotland’s Glenfiddich Fiddle Champion, 2-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and 2-time Canadian Maritime Fiddle Champion, all within a three-year period. Ever since then, she has been spreading her love for dance-based music, performing as a featured artist at performing arts centers, Celtic festivals, Scottish Highland Games, celebrated folk venues, world music concert series, and acclaimed classical venues including Carnegie Hall. A master of diverse musical styles and winner of several major international competitions, Mari sweeps her audiences away on a spirited musical adventure celebrating tradition and exploring possibility in the dance-driven music of the Celtic regions: Scotland, Ireland, Shetland, Canada, and more. She and her dynamic band featuring Adam Hendey on guitar and Noah Harrington on bass will treat you to an unforgettable experience that will have you tapping your toes and dancing in the aisles!

Mari Black Trio

Securely ranked among Scotland’s most skilled and imaginative contemporary folk acts, Breabach unite deep roots in Highland and Island tradition with the innovative Scottish music scene.