What's New Archives
What's New - December 2008

Composer and instrumentalist Peter Ostroushko returns to the Fitzgerald Theater with his full Heartland Holiday Ensemble. The concert will celebrate the holiday spirit with a musical journey from the beautiful ancient a cappella carols of Ostroushko's Ukranian heritage to Brazilian choros as interpreted by mandolin.

Chuck Suchy is one of the foremost musical voices of the American Great Plains. A working farmer, Chuck writes, sings and records songs evoking and extolling the Great Plains region and lifestyle. His themes have expanded to include songs about human relationships, spirituality, motorcycles, and even sailing. The Plains have seen a lot of change including farm crises, loss of population, and a major restructuring of the agricultural economy. Chuck remains an astute observer of it all and his songs chronicle the events, emotions and feelings that accompany such change.

  
Marc Anderson’s repertoire includes every imaginable type of percussion instrument.  He is called a rare bird among percussionists, combining the mastery of authentic playing techniques with a high degree of musical sensitivity.

Sedra Bistodeau is in the eighth grade and attends Minnesota Virtual Academy based in Houston, MN.  She started playing the violin at the age of four and is currently studying classical music.  An avid fiddler, Sedra took first place in the 2008 "Gone to Texas" Fiddling Championships held in Halletsville, Texas.  Sedra and her sister Deena have recorded three CDs of there favorite fiddle tunes.

Pianist, accordionist and occasional storyteller Dan Chouinard is a Minneapolis native who plays, tours and records regularly with an ever-expanding roster of local and national performers.  Dan regularly creates special programs for Minnesota Public Radio which blend storytelling, interview and music.

Dirk Freymuth has produced more than 50 records in a wide variety of genres and appeared on dozens of recordings as a session guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He has composed music for film, television and radio in addition to music written for the various groups of which he was a member.  Also a specialist of historical plucked-string instruments, Dirk holds a Doctoral degree in Early Music Performance from the University of Southern California, where he is a lecturer in music of the Renaissance.

Humorist and playwright Kevin Kling is a well-known playwright and storyteller whose plays and adaptations have been performed around the world.  His autobiographical tales are as enchanting as they are true to life.  Kevin has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the McKnight Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Bush Foundation, the Jerome Foundation and received a Whiting Award. Most recently he has appeared at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee and launched his first book , The Dog Says How.

Ruth MacKenzie is a singer and composer who has been dubbed the "Janis Joplin of folk" in Finland and Sweden.   She uses the traditional vocal sounds of the Sami people and Ingrain choral sound (edgy, poly-tonal singing) in her compositions.  As a folk and blues singer, Ruth has performed throughout the United States and Europe and has received many awards for her work.

A first-generation Ukrainian-American and Minnesota native, Natalie Nowytski trained classically with her grandmother, the legendary vocal coach Oksana Bryn. Although she calls the voice her main instrument, Natalie plays over a dozen folk and classical instruments and is the vocalist/percussionist for the Midwest's most sought-after folk dance band, Orkestar Bez Ime (OBI).

Anna Kim Ostroushko studied violin with Brad Johnson and Beatrice Blanc at the MacPhail School of Music.  She has been a student of the circus arts, specializing in the aerial arts, at Circus Juventas. She attends the Saint Paul Conservatory for the Performing Arts.

Joel Sayles produces and writes songs with his group Hindurodeo as well as with Alice Peacock and others.  He performs and records with the likes of John Gorka, Peter Ostroushko, Peter Mayer and Stuart Davis.

Jim Stowell has been called the area’s primer storyteller.  He has written and performed twelve one-man plays and has written and directed eleven full cast plays.  He was selected for a “Kudos” award for his work in Macbeth at The Palace Theater in 1982 and as “Best Performance” by the Twin Cities Reader in 1991 for Shimmer at The Jungle Theatre.