The April Verch Trio will play the Turnage Theater | Eastern North Carolina Now

For Immediate Release

    April's recent main stage performance in the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver confirms her status as one of Canada's virtuoso fiddlers, and the Turnage Theater is proud to bring her to their stage on Friday, January 14th at 8pm.

    When you see April Verch perform, the first thing that strikes you is the pure energy that infuses her fiddle playing and step dancing. When you listen to her though, what draws you in are more subtle things--her pure voice, the finely detailed elegance of her fiddle phrasing and the depth of a repertoire that ranges through material from bluegrass to Brazilian to Celtic, from a jaunty Canadian folksong to a poignant contemporary ballad.

    April was born, raised and is now living in the Ottawa Valley where her family has lived for generations. It's an area with a rich, distinctive musical and step dancing tradition shaped by the diverse roots of the immigrants drawn to the region's lumber camps. With her band, she plays traditional and original songs that draw from all over the world, but are clearly filtered through her immersion in the style she grew up with in the Ottawa Valley.

    It was April's time spent studying music at Berklee College of Music in Boston (under Matt Glaser and Darol Anger) that first lead her to blend together different forms of traditional music to form her own distinct sound. She then launched her professional career by winning the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion and the Canadian Open Fiddle Champion titles (the first and only woman to win both). In addition to her vigorous touring schedule, she is in great demand for her teaching skills at workshops, master classes and music camps.

    April has released seven recordings to date; her 2001 Rounder Records release earned a JUNO nomination (the Canadian equivalent to a Grammy) for "Best Roots/Traditional Album". Her most recent release, Steal The Blue (2008), was co-produced by Stephen Mougin of the Sam Bush Band and Jon Weisberger. It is both a compelling collection of vocal and instrumental selections and the best portrait yet of April as a performing artist, while testifying to the esteem in which she's held by Nashville's bluegrass and roots musicians. The album features harmony vocals from Patty Mitchell, Melonie Cannon, Stephen Mougin, Jana Mougin, and includes songs from some familiar names: Tim Stafford, Steve Gulley, Craig Market, Sarah Siskind, Sarah Pirkle, Larry Cordle and John Hartford, as well as Mark Simos and Jon Weisberger.

    The April Verch Band consists of world-class musicians Clay Ross on guitar and Cody Walters on upright-electric bass and banjo. Verch leads the band with her own simultaneous fiddling and dancing and together they have been selling out prestigious venues and festivals for years. They have toured across Canada, the United States, the U.K., Europe and last year made a six week tour in Australia for the first time. In 2011 they are slated for their debut tour in China. They have established a reputation as consummate performers with boundless energy on stage that inevitably brings audiences to their feet.

    The performance at the Turnage Theater in downtown Washington, NC on January 14th is one show you do not want to miss, and at only $15 a ticket, you don't have to! Call (252) 975-1191 or visit the box office at 150 West Main St. between the hours of 10 and 4 Monday through Friday to purchase tickets with cash, check, Visa or MasterCard, or go on line at turnagetheater.com and reserve your seat today.

    For more information contact: Katherine Buchholz, Box Office Mngr.
              (252) 975-1191