European Folk Day – September the 23rd
Gudrun Walther & Andy Cutting “Conversations” Folk from Europe
September 25 @ 20:00 - 22:00 CET (Europe)
Award-winning duo Gudrun Walther and Andy Cutting brings two truly exceptional musicians together.
Both are among the best-known musicians in their genre in their home countries and have received multiple awards such as the BBC Folk Award and the Irish Music Award. Their debut album Conversations won the German Record Critics’ Awards (I/2024).
Their interaction is characterized by empathy and spontaneity. Their line-up of diatonic accordion, violin and vocals is minimalistic, but they achieve maximum intensity.
They forego the security of fixed arrangements and rehearsed parts. Everything is direct, live, spontaneous and in the moment.
Their music is like a conversation, an exchange of thoughts or feelings – which is how the title of the album, which received rave reviews all over Europe, came about. In order to be able to interact with one another so freely, the musicians must have absolute mastery of their instruments, but virtuosity is never the focus here. It is more like a magical immersion into the wonderland of sound, with the musicians leading the way with somnambulistic security, inviting the audience to follow them on this journey.
“Two towering musicians at their best.” Folk London (UK), *****5stars
“Gudrun and Andy have the enviable and quite magical knack of absolutely spellbinding the transfixed audience, which has them wanting more of their amazing music.”
Folk Wales (UK), *****5stars
“Ein berührendes, inspirierendes Folk-Album” Concerto (A) *****5stars
“This all fits together so beautifully that you can’t help but listen to these fifty minutes again and again with complete pleasure.” Roots Time (B)
“As one can expect from musicians of this class, ‘Conversations’ is a masterful album across the board.” FOLK Magazine (B)
“An album of spontaneity and joie de vivre.” 5 Planètes (F)
“Conversations is a dream come true (…) as one can expect from musicians of this class, (it) is a masterful album all across the board. Gudrun sings the stars from heaven here.”
Heaven Magazine (NL)
Andy Cutting, a three-time BBC Folk Awards Musician of the year, is a compelling solo performer and works with Leveret, Blowzabella, Topette!, Anne Niepold, and Roger Daltrey. He’s a musician’s musician and one of the folk scene’s most wanted, playing with Kate Rusby, John McCusker, June Tabor and Martin Simpson to name but a few. There is also a growing demand for him to play outside this genre (having recorded with Sting, John Illsley (Dire Straits) and most recently being asked to join The Who for an acoustic concert in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. His style of playing is unique and has audibly influenced more than one generation of box players, which also makes him a popular tutor for workshops and master classes worldwide. He has been teaching the National Youth Folk Ensemble on a regular basis since 2015, He’s also an esteemed composer and many of his tunes are considered contemporary classics on the folk scene.
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