THE MAGNOLIA SISTERS 
FRIDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER, 2016 • 7pm
The Old Stage Stop, Cimarron NM

The Magnolia Sisters is a band of women who can play the whole gamut of musical styles from southwest Louisiana: Cajun, Creole, dancehall favorites, and front porch ballads. Because of their many rhythmic styles they are loved by dancers, who marvel at the variety of fun grooves they play.

They each switch from one instrument to another during their shows. The Magnolia Sisters are also an ideal band for seated concerts because, in addition to their vast dancehall repertoire, they tell stories, sing rich harmonies on a cappella ballads, and play string band numbers from the 1930s. Much of their music has been gleaned from long-buried Cajun music jewels found in their extensive archives.

While these older songs are the more unusual aspect of their sound, they also love to play energetic Cajun dancehall and Creole numbers that bring the audience to their feet. Whatever style they approach, they bring a freshness and vitality to the music. A musical evening with Magnolia Sisters is a fun and enriching experience as they explain the meanings of the songs, move between accordion two-steps, twin fiddle tunes, heavy bass Creole hits, dancehall standards and a cappella ballads. Their most recent CD "Stripped Down"(Arhoolie Records) was nominated for a Grammy in 2010.

The members of the group are Ann Savoy, Jane Vidrine, Anya Burgess, and Lisa Trahan. Each brings to the ensemble her own rich individual experience as a Louisiana musician, mother, and woman in the real world. The common ground is the music, the heritage, and the feeling that comes across.
Courtesy www.magnoliasisters.com

HALDEN WOFFORD & THE HI*BEAMS • 8pm
SATURDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER, 2016
Colfax Tavern, Colfax, NM
Show opens 7 p.m. with Red River’s own Hwy 38 Houndogs
(Must be 21 to attend)

Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams ride out from the cutting edge cowtown of Denver, Colorado. Rootsy and real, neither revivalist nor retro, the Hi-Beams’ brand of country music is as boundless and electrifying as America itself.

Equal parts Hank Williams and Johnny Depp, front man Halden Wofford pours forth a potent mix of rocked-up honky tonk, western swing, Dylanesque originals and spaghetti western epics. There is no creative limit to the songwriter, illustrator, author, storyteller and singer. But Halden has met his match in the Hi*Beams. Each outrageous tale he spins is met by the whine and wail of the steel guitar, the furious double-neck electric guitar and mandolin, and the relentless thump of the upright bass and drums.

From Red Rocks to rodeos, the Fillmore Auditorium to the back of a flatbed truck, Prairie Home Companion to performing arts centers, Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams deliver an unforgettable and original night of American music.

“One of Colorado's most popular and enduring acts, the Hi*Beams celebrate 13 years together in 2013. Rootsy but not revivalist, the Hi*Beams' rollicking stage act features rocked-up Texas honky tonk and western swing, equal parts original and classic.”

Whether appearing on A Prairie Home Companion, at regional festivals and concerts, or at funky clubs from New Mexico to Montana and all points in between, the Hi*Beams are always high-energy, danceable and entertaining.
                                                                                         —Rob Miller, Manager, Quicksilver productions

HWY 38 HOUNDOGS, RED RIVER, opening for Hi*Beams
The Hwy 38 Houndogs cross the pass from Red River, NM, with an irresistible home brew of dance music they call “southwest Americana with a green chili twist.”  Formed in 2007, they are a working roadhouse band that plays all over the northern New Mexico and west Texas region. Red River’s Jeff Fagan on piano holds down lead with keyboard licks influenced by blues, jazz, rock and country. Also from Red River is Michael Smith on guitar and lead vocals, adding classic country soul to the rock feel of the band. Ry Taylor is from Cimarron, NM. His sweet vocal harmonies and solid bass playing round out the Houndog sound with a folk rock/indie flair. Their very large array of blues, country and folk makes you want to get up and dance.
ALSO PERFORMING in a BENEFIT CONCERT for the ShortGrass Music Festival FRIDAY, 13 MAY, 2016, 7-9PM @ Colfax Tavern, $20.  (Must be 21 to attend)

CELLO & PIANO RECITAL
SUNDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER, 2016 • 4pm
performed by Denise Djokic, cellist & Heng-Jin Park, pianist
United Methodist Church, Cimarron, NM

DENISE DJOKIC, CELLO (pictured above, top)
Instantly recognized by her “arrestingly beautiful tone color” (The Strad), cellist Denise Djokic captivates audiences with her natural musical instinct and remarkable combination of strength and sensitivity. Acclaim for her powerful interpretations, bold command of her instrument and insightful playing has earned her world-wide recognition.

Since then, Denise has accrued numerous distinctions and accolades: she has been named one of the top “25 Canadians Who Are Changing Our World” by Maclean’s Magazine, one of “Canada’s Most Powerful Women” by Elle Magazine, and had her life and career chronicled by a special BRAVO! TV documentary entitled “Seven Days, Seven Nights.” A natural leader and advocate for classical music, Denise is equally at home on the podium as a keynote speaker, having presented at forums such as IdeaCity in Toronto and the Women In Leadership Conference at Queen’s University.  Denise believes strongly in passing along her knowledge of music and her instrument. She serves on the Faculty of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada each summer, has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Ottawa, and frequently gives masterclasses. “She plays with a seemingly natural ease and her glowing, warm tone and honest musical interpretations draw the listener into her complete commitment to the music.” (The Strad)

“Her lyrical phrasing and colourful palette of sound — including razor-thin notes coaxed out of her instrument’s extreme upper range — was matched only by her virtuosi c technique…”(Winnipeg Free Press) 
© 2013 Denise Djokic, all rights reserved

HENG-JIN PARK, PIANIST (pictured above, bottom)
Heng-Jin Park, founder and the Artistic Director of Halcyon Music Festival has been heralded as a “pianist of unusual artistry and musical imagination,” by the Washington Post.  Ms. Park is renowned for her versatility as a soloist, chamber musician, pedagogue, and music director.

 “A centered musician with uncommon control over the sonorous possibilities of her instrument; she plays boldly with a full spectrum of colors.”(Richard Dyer Boston Globe)

Ms. Park started playing the piano at age 5, and made her solo debut with the Boston Pops in Symphony Hall at age 15 performing the Schumann Piano Concerto.  She has had return engagements with the Boston Pops, and has also made concerto appearances with the Boston Classical Orchestra, Boston Philharmonic, New England Philharmonic, L'Orchestre Symphonique Française, and many others.  Ms. Park has also been featured in the Boston Celebrity Series. Ms. Park held the position of artistic director of Killington Music Festival in Vermont from 2011 to 2013.

A passionate chamber musician, Heng-Jin Park is the founding member and current pianist of the Boston Trio.  With the Boston Trio Ms. Park has performed internationally in some of the most respected concert series and venues in the world.  The trio has been in residence at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School.

Born in Korea and raised in the Boston area, Ms. Park studied with Leonard Shure and Russell Sherman at the New England Conservatory.  While receiving her Bachelor and Master Degrees at NEC, she won a number of awards and prizes including the Tourjée Grant for graduate study and the Frank H. Beebe Grant for study abroad.  She also worked with Marie-Françoise Bucquet at Conservatoire Nationale Superieur de la Musique de Paris.  She currently resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The grasslands of northeast New Mexico, on the eastern face of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, stretch east as far as the eye can see. Part of the largest biological community in the entire North American continent, this high altitude portion of it is composed of the short grasses —tough little plants like blue grama and buffalo grass that can withstand the perennial drought cycle of the region.

The Festival is a celebration of the open range and limitless sky, and invites music lovers to enjoy the immense natural beauty of the area along with a feast of live music from some of the very best concert artists in the world. Last year’s June concert at Rayado was such a success that the Festival will repeat it this year, adding one more evening of music to the high plains summer.

Festival artists will perform in venues that are themselves a tour of the short grass country. The deer and the antelope really do play here, along with elk, bear and Mr. Turner’s bison, and visitors will see them as they retrace the old Santa Fe Trail between Colfax, Cimarron and Rayado.