The Appalachian Celebration, the Blair School’s annual appreciation of folk music and mountain sounds, this year is headlined by father-daughter old-time duo Rafe and Clelia Stefanini.
Rafe Stefanini is an Italian old-time banjo player, fiddler, guitarist, singer and teacher, as well as a respected violin maker and restorer. Daughter Clelia is an award-winning fiddler in her own right. The pair perform as Nine-Pound Hammer with Nikki Stefanini (Rafe’s wife and Clelia’s mother), and Rafe and Clelia often record as a duo. Rafe is also a member of the Jumpsteady Boys, a band he formed with fellow old-time musician Bruce Molsky.
The Stefaninis will be accompanied at this concert by Grammy-winning mandolinist Mike Compton and event host Matt Combs, a Blair fiddle instructor who was recently named official staff fiddle player for the Grand Ole Opry’s house band.
The Appalachian Celebration takes place at 8 p.m. April 19 in Ingram Hall. While admission is free, the concert is a benefit for the Jerome “Butch” Baldassari Precollege Scholarship Fund at the Blair School of Music. Donations will be accepted at the door, but are not required.