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Calliope InstructorsCalliope Classes are taught by the best folk artists in Western Pennsylvania, many of whom are also performers.
Bob Artis has been playing and teaching bluegrass mandolin and other instruments for more than 30 years. He has recorded and performed with bluegrass greats, Mac Martin, Larry Sparks, Red Allen, Ricky Skaggs, and Jerry Douglas, has appeared on “Mr Rogers Neighborhood,” and has toured with the Smithsonian folk music company. He is the author of a well-received book on bluegrass history, and has written notes for recordings by Jethro Burns and Red Rector. George Balderose teaches the playing of Great Highland Bagpipe and several types of smaller bellows bagpipes from Scotland and Ireland. He co-founded the Balmoral School of Highland Piping in 1978, and has intensively studied bagpipe teaching methods with some of the world's greatest players of these instruments. Many of the students he has started from scratch play in local pipe bands and have won prizes in piping competitions. The NY Times called him a "virtuoso piper." Charlie Barath’s performing experience includes
time with area groups, in addition to playing in church and at various
charitable events. He has studied with Phil Wiggins and Gary Primich
and has been teaching privately since 1998. Oliver Browne has fiddled since his childhood
days in Ireland and has played with some of the finest traditional
musicians in North America and Europe. He comes from a family that
has been influential in international Irish music circles for many
years. Now in Pittsburgh, Oliver performs with The Rolling Scones,
Hooley, and at ceilis, feis, and seisuns. Carla Dundes moved to Pittsburgh several years ago from Cincinnati, where she performed and recorded with the band, Silver Arm. Originally a professional oboe player, she is now an ardent tin whistle player, playing with “The Rolling Scones” and at sessions and ceilis in the area. Her biggest Irish music influences are Mary Bergin and John Skelton, with whom she studied. Bob Hutchinson is a skilled teacher, player, and maker of Appalachian dulcimers. He is well-known for his interpretations of traditional and contemporary music played on the dulcimer. His work is frequently featured in the Dulcimer Times magazine. Ceinwen King-Smith has sung with the Mendelssohn Choir and soloed with the Pittsburgh Oratorio Society, of which she was a member for 25 years. She is currently a member of Coro Latin Americano of Pittsburgh as well the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, for which she has also done solo work. Caroline Mitchell learned to knit at age 9 and since then has knitted numerous useful objects in various techniques including Aran, Fair Isle, Cable, and Nordic, and including at least 100 sweaters and numerous hats, scarves and smaller objects as gifts. Bruce Molyneaux plays mandolin and tenor banjo. He plays for ceilis on a regular basis and has a deep interest in traditional Irish music, particularly that of the Sliabh Luachra area. Ronald Morelli plays bluegrass and clawhammer banjo, and guitar. His musical life spans over 30 years, and he enjoys using the banjo as an accompaniment to singing a wide variety of songs in bluegrass, gospel, and old time Appalachian styles. Carol Palmer is a classically trained violinist who has played the mandolin for 5 years. She is a member of the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra, a community-based organization open to players of all levels of ability. She is also one of six solo performers in the Pittsburgh Mandolin Consort, which will be in concert at Heinz Chapel in September. Carol began teaching for Calliope last winter, and is an enthusiastic and supportive instructor. For more details on the mandolin and her courses, go to her website. Emily Pinkerton holds a master's degree in ethnomusicology with a focus on Latin America. She has taught private lessons since 1990 and as an undergraduate worked at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. Emily is also a singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist whose work draws from old-time country and Latin American folk. On fiddle, banjo and guitar, she has shared the stage with artists such as Divahn, Glen Velez, Stacy Phillips, and the Chieftains. Hallie Pritts is a singer/songwriter hailing from southwestern Pennsylvania. Pritts is the songwriter for a band called Boca Chica that put out a 7-track EP in 2005. The disc became a top seller at Desolation Row in Oakland and has been featured on WYEP’s “Local News”. In addition to songwriting, Pritts also writes poetry, short stories, and creative non-fiction. Her song “Undertow” was recently featured on NPR’s “All Songs Considered”. When she’s not writing or playing, Hallie teaches French, paints houses, and spends a lot of time at the library. Rich Rayburg has been playing bodhran for approximately 8 years. He was a member of the traditional Irish ensemble Sl·n Abhaile and currently is a regular player at local sessions and cÈilÌs. A former bodhran student at Calliope, Rich now enjoys teaching as well as playing. Janet Reing plays banjo, hammered dulcimer and guitar. She was a member of the Coal Country Cloggers for many years and also performed with the Deer Creek String Band. She now performs with the Blue Mountain Cloggers and Sandy Gals, as well as with her husband Mike. Mike Reing has been active in the Pittsburgh folk
music scene for twenty-some years. Mike plays guitar, banjo, harmonica,
fiddle and sings. He was a founding member of the Deer Creek String
Band Kip Ruefle is a versatile percussionist with over 32 years experience on drum kit, and 25 years playing rock, jazz and folk with multiple musical ensembles. Along with drum kit, Kip specializes in a variety of ethnic hand percussion (including congas, bongos, djembe, doumbek and tabla ) and bodhran. He is a former Calliope student and a regular attendant at local Irish Music Sessions and drum circles. His favorite bodhran players are Johnny “Ringo” McDonagh and John Joe Kelly. Faith Stenning has played the Celtic Harp throughout southwestern Pennsylvania for over two decades. She has been the featured harper at the Pittsburgh International Festival and the Pittsburgh Irish Festival, and in 2005 she won second place as an ensemble player at the Scottish Harp competition at the Ligonier Highland Games. She has studied music at Boston University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the Scottish Arts School at Oberlin University, along with private study with Gretchen Van Hoesen, Principal Harpist of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Mark Tamsula plays fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin in the Old Time Country style and knows more than 700 tunes and songs. Mark has been performing and teaching in the Southwestern Pennsylvania region for over 20 years. You can visit Mark's website at www.appalachianmusic.net Harold Yeager plays banjo, guitar, and sings with the bluegrass band Midlife Crisis. Harold began his banjo studies at Calliope and has since studied with Tony Trischka and completed the Duquesne University Guitar and Bass Workshop.
Teacher Inquires: Call 412-361-1915 or send e-mail
to calliope@calliopehouse.org |
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Duane
Galensky is a multi-instrumentalist with 36 years of playing
experience. He is self-taught on the acoustic and electric guitars,
mandolin, autoharp, and bass, and is currently working on Dobro
and fiddle. Duane played in several rock, blues, and country bands
in central New Jersey before returning to the Pittsburgh area in
September 2003. Currently he performs with The Gitterdun Boys and
Wudge & Company.
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