Banjo Virtuoso Prepares to Give Concert in Vladivostok

VLADIVOSTOK. February 16. VOSTOK-MEDIA – Ryan Cavanaugh, a famous banjo player, prepares to give a concert in Vladivostok.

“I’ve long dreamed of acquainting residents of the Russian Far East with Bluegrass music, a form of American folk music which takes its roots in Scottish, English, and Irish traditional music,” says Tom Armbruster, U.S. Consul-General in Vladivostok. “Bluegrass became popular in America in the 1950s. It is a very playful and lively music performed on acoustic instruments. I hope Vladivostok will like bluegrass. Bluegrass quartet experiments with different genres and I think the show is going to be very interesting.”

The concert is made possible through the support of U.S. Consulate General in Vladivostok, the Primorsky Krai Philharmonic, and also by the support of Primorsky Krai Gov. Sergei Darkin.

Ryan Cavanaugh is well known in the U.S. and Europe. His father gave him the first banjo lessons. When he started to take lessons from the best banjo teachers in North Carolina he won almost all banjo competitions in the U.S. and took numerous prizes at bluegrass festivals.

Ryan Cavanaugh did not confine himself to playing only bluegrass and country music, the typical styles for banjo. He was experimenting in different styles and in 2006 he drew attention of the legendary jazz fusion guitar player John McLaughlin. It was at that time that he received world-wide critical acclaim after his performance with the legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans.

In Vladivostok Ryan Cavanaugh will perform with the Bluegrass quartet consisting of Robert Grant (guitar, mandolin, fiddle, vocal), Scott Simontacchi (guitar, mandolin, vocal), and Mike Bub (bass).

The concert will take place in Primorsky Krai Philharmonic on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m.