In collaboration with Merrimans' Playhouse, we present a special Duo Concert: The breadth of Setiawan’s ambitious project is brought into focus through a stripped-down mandolin ensemble format, allowing the instrument itself to take center stage.
On his new record, “Encyclopedia Mandolinnica”, award-winning instrumentalist Ethan Setiawan explores the many possibilities of mandolin music through duets and trios with his friends, mentors, and heroes. The breadth of Setiawan’s ambitious project is brought into focus through a stripped-down mandolin ensemble format, allowing the instrument itself to take center stage. On “Encyclopedia Mandolinnica”, Setiawan duets with some of his past teachers, such as Don Stiernberg and Mike Marshall, both foundational to the mandolin’s place in current folk music. He also worked with players who are in the process of forging their influence on the instrument, like classical mandolinist Caterina Lichtenberg, Watchhouse frontman Andrew Marlin, and Scottish folk star Laura-Beth Salter. A notable moment on the record is an octave mandolin trio with Sharon Gilchrist and Darol Anger, called “Back At It,” a mid-tempo number that showcases the emotive melodic possibilities of the instrument in a lower register and the tasteful restraint of three powerhouse musicians. Contrastingly, on “Blazing Star” Setiawan duets with Jacob Jolliff in lightning-fast, virtuosic conversation.
Originally from Goshen, Indiana, Ethan Setiawan tried out numerous instruments before finding his way to the mandolin, making a name for himself when he won both the National Mandolin Championship in Winfield, KS and the Rockygrass Mandolin Championship. He attended Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship. Years later, Setiawan has become a leading voice of the mandolin, his path wending its way through traditional bluegrass, to Bach partitas, and free jazz. He performs regularly with his progressive bluegrass band Fine Ground, and Scottish fusion duo Hildaland. His previous solo albums “Flux” and “Gambit” (produced by Darol Anger) were made up of original tunes drawing from all these wells but employed a more traditional full band format.
Grant Flick is a performer, recording artist, composer, educator, and collaborator currently based in Ann Arbor, MI. He plays many instruments including violin, mandolin, tenor guitar, nyckelharpa, tenor banjo, and viola. His current original music projects, Westbound Situation, Warren & Flick, and Hannah O’Brien & Grant Flick, explore the fusion of chamber music with influences including new acoustic music, manouche, jazz, swing, bluegrass, and American old-time. In these groups, he writes pieces influenced from many styles that feature the collective spontaneity and imagination of the fellow improvisatory musicians with whom he collaborates. Grant recently completed a Master’s degree at University of Michigan in Improvisation.
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