Crossings brings Peter Ostroushko & Dean Magraw to Zumbrota's State Theatre on Saturday, January 31, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door, and can be purchased online or by calling 507-732-7616. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Peter Ostroushko, one of the finest mandolin and fiddle players in acoustic music joins guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer Dean Magraw for a return trip to Zumbrota.
The two legendary musicians played as a duo for 15 years. Both known for bringing together many musical styles, their concerts will leave audiences astounded and with a new appreciation for the similarities among musical traditions.
Because their musical interests roam so widely, each man has teamed up with other musicians for performances and recordings in every style from punk-folk to jazz, Celtic to country.
Ostroushko's tours have taken him to clubs, performing arts centers, music festivals and theatres across North America and Europe, and he has earned an international reputation as a versatile and dazzling musician and composer. He is at his most passionate playing a rich ethnic mix of music, at the heart of which is his Ukrainian heritage. His term for his mixture of musical styles is "sluz duz," a phrase roughly meaning "over the edge" or "off his rocker."
He has recorded with artists such as Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Greg Brown, and Taj Mahal. His first recording session was contributing the mandolin parts for Bob Dylan's epochal Blood on the Tracks. As a composer, Ostroushko has written works that have been performed by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Sinfonia, the Rochester (Minnesota) Symphony Orchestra, and more.
Magraw's 30-year career in music has seen him teamed up with the well-known Irish group Altan, Japanese shamisen player Nigel Kennedy, classical violinist Nigel Kennedy, singers Claudia Schmidt and Ruth MacKenzie, and Boiled in Lead. He leads his own jazz trio and quintet, and recorded with Celtic, Indian and Hungarian musicians as well.
"[Magraw’s] passion transcends all perceived musical boundaries, yet the vital essence of his distinctive style is ever-present, whether he’s performing and recording as a solo artist, [or] leading his own ensembles." –Pamela Espeland – MinnPost.com
The State Theatre is located at 96 East 4th Street in Zumbrota. For more information call 507-732-5210.