Southern Wisconsin's Most Charming Theatre
The historic Stoughton Opera House is located in Stoughton, WI just a few minutes south-east of Madison. The theater plays host to a wide variety of musical and theatrical performances throughout the season - rock, folk, classical, oddities, comedy...you name it. Known for sublime acoustics and an early 20th century aesthetic, don't pass on a chance to see a show or just pay a visit to the Stoughton Opera House.
Open House Tours, Norwegian Music
Syttende Mai is an annual folk festival in Stoughton with many activities to celebrate Norwegian Heritage. The Opera House is open for tours along with some very special music throughout the day on Saturday.
Edvard Grieg Chorus 11:30am- 12:30 pm
ScandiAm Jam 2 - 2:30pm
Free-Will Donation
A dazzling array of musical talents will be showcased throughout the season during these hour-long programs, organized by John Beutel and sponsored by the Stoughton Area Senior Center. All Music Appreciation events are free and open to the public.
Started in 2017 by Ann Sawyer, Yahara Strummers meets at the Stoughton Senior Center on Thursdays at 1 pm. A broad ever changing spectrum of music is on our playlist. All are welcome to join us. No experience necessary.
Gale Stone & Megan Wisersky, Directors
general admission - free-will donation
They said no one would ever understand a name like Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society. That chamber music was Serious Business—and that door prizes, mystery guests, playful titles, and a little audience mischief had no place in it. They said a festival like this wouldn’t last.
Thirty-five summers later, here we are—still surprising ourselves, still chasing curiosity, still proving that chamber music can be both passionately committed and Serious Fun. What began as a leap of faith has become a tradition built on trust: trust in great music, fearless artists, and an audience that’s always up for the adventure. So much for “never.”
That said, there are a few things we’ll happily say never to. We’ll never program music that doesn’t make our own hearts race—or give it anything less than our all. We’ll never lose our sense of humor, our love of mischief, or our gratitude for the generosity that keeps this festival humming. And we’ll never take our audience for granted.
After all, you show up year after year, waiting for that familiar thrill to cross your mind: “They’ll never do that.” Never Say Never.
WELL, I NEVER! in Stoughton: Fast-moving and delightfully unexpected, this no-intermission concert combines Rossini’s swagger, Beethoven’s radiant A Major cello sonata, and Haydn’s witty “Chirp Chirp” Symphony No. 97 for a compact burst of brilliance that proves big ideas don’t need a long runway.
A dazzling array of musical talents will be showcased throughout the season during these hour-long programs, organized by John Beutel and sponsored by the Stoughton Area Senior Center. All Music Appreciation events are free and open to the public.
Two Korean pianists met at a conference in Wisconsin while teaching and are committed to fostering diversity through music and the arts, uniting people and communities. Our repertoire includes beautiful traditional duo music, as well as new works by various composers. With a fearless and creative spirit, we strive to push the boundaries of our art, inviting audiences to join us on a captivating musical journey.
Lina currently teaches at Wright State University as Assistant Professor of Piano and Chair of Piano Performance and Literature Studies. and will be joined by Kaju who is on the Music Faculty of the UW-Platteville. They return to perform for us some great music for Piano Four Hands.
Free Will Donation
The son of a small-town farming community, Cody Diekhoff logged plenty of highway and stage time under the name Chicago Farmer before settling in the city in 2003. Profoundly inspired by fellow Midwesterner John Prine, he’s a working-class folk musician to his core. His small-town roots, tilled with city streets mentality, are turning heads North and South of I-80.
“I love the energy, music, and creativity of Chicago, but at the same time, the roots and hard work of my small town,” he shares. Growing up in Delavan, Illinois, with a population less than 2,000, Diekhoff’s grandparents were farmers, and their values have always provided the baseline of his songs.
He writes music for “the kind of people that come to my shows. Whether in Chicago or Delavan, everyone has a story, and everyone puts in a long day and works hard the same way,” he says. “My generation may have been labeled as slackers, but I don’t know anyone who doesn’t work hard – many people I know put in 50-60 hours a week and 12-hour days. That’s what keeps me playing. I don’t like anyone to be left out; my music is for everyone in big and very small towns.”
He listened to punk rock and grunge as a kid before discovering a friend’s dad playing Hank Williams, and it was a revelation. Prine and Guthrie quickly followed. The name Chicago Farmer was originally for a band, but the utilitarian life of driving alone from bar to bar, city to city - to make a direct connection to his audience and listener, took a deeper hold.
Hailing from both the Appalachian and Piedmont regions of North Carolina, the Rangers have long held traditional bluegrass paramount, while possessing an exceptional ability to bring it down the mountain, and to incorporate accessible influence from all walks of the region. With the band’s last few albums, they have gained recognition from well beyond the world of bluegrass, earning a reputation as some of the most influential songwriters in Americana today.
Newcomer to this ship, Aaron Burdett, brings a soul-stirring element to the Rangers’ mastery of mountain music. Burdett is an award-winning singer-songwriter, and a student of folk tradition. He provides a fresh, emotional context to the songbook, which “can reach out and touch your heart or slap you in the face,” to use the praise of drummer and multi-instrumentalist, Mike Ashworth.
Steep Canyon Rangers is made up of Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals, Aaron Burdett on guitar and vocals, Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals, Mike Ashworth on drums and vocals, and Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, and vocals.
Over the band’s esteemed career, the three-time Grammy nominees have released 14 studio albums, three collaborative albums with actor and banjoist Steve Martin, been inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, and appeared on some of music’s biggest stages. In 2013, Nobody Knows You won the GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album, while 2012’s Rare Bird and 2020’s North Carolina Songbook garnered nominations in the same category.
Multiple award-winning guitarist, vocalist, and bandleader Tommy Castro is a California-based blues and rock powerhouse. For over four decades, he’s captivated audiences with his soul-drenched vocals, searing guitar work, and high-energy live shows. As frontman of the telepathically tight and wildly raucous Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, he’s released 17 albums that span a wide stylistic range—from horn-driven R&B and hot-blooded soul to gritty, stripped-down rock and electric blues.
With his latest and eighth Alligator Records release, Closer To The Bone, Castro returns to his roots, delivering what he calls “a real blues record, the way they would have made them back in the day.” Produced by guitar master Christoffer “Kid” Andersen at San Jose’s Greaseland Studio, the album is Castro’s rawest and most direct blues effort to date.
The album features standout originals like Ain’t Worth The Heartache, Can’t Catch A Break, and Crazy Woman Blues, alongside deep-cut covers of songs by Castro’s friends and influences—Johnny Nitro, Magic Slim, Ron Thompson, Chris Cain, and more. Guest appearances include Rick Estrin, Billy Branch, Deanna Bogart, Chris Cain, Jim Pugh, and gospel harmonies from The Sons Of The Soul Revivers.
Born in San Jose in 1955, Castro picked up the guitar at age 10 and was inspired by icons like Elvin Bishop, Taj Mahal, and Mike Bloomfield. He absorbed everything from Ike & Tina Turner to John Lee Hooker and Buddy Guy, developing a uniquely uplifting and soulful style rooted in blues, R&B, and funk. After early stints with Bay Area bands including NiteCry and The Dynatones, Castro formed the first Tommy Castro Band in 1992.
Castro’s career took off when his band became the house band on NBC’s Comedy Showcase, airing after Saturday Night Live. He soon built a reputation as a must-see live act, touring relentlessly and releasing acclaimed albums with Blind Pig, Telarc, 33rd Street, and eventually Alligator Records, where his 2009 debut Hard Believer marked a new chapter of critical and commercial success.
Notable releases include The Devil You Know (2014), Stompin’ Ground (2017), Killin’ It – Live (2019), and A Bluesman Came To Town (2021), which AllMusic hailed as “a towering achievement.”
Castro is one of the most decorated artists in contemporary blues, winning 10 Blues Music Awards, including four B.B. King Entertainer of the Year honors—the genre’s highest accolade. His no-frills, 150-shows-a-year approach has earned him a fiercely loyal fanbase and praise from legends like Joe Bonamassa, who says, “Tommy has always been top of the heap among blues guitar players. He always puts on a great show.”
With Closer To The Bone, Tommy Castro strips it all back to deliver an album brimming with grit, fire, and authenticity. “This is the deeper blues side of me,” says Castro. “With these songs, I am at my most authentic.”
Since gaining prominence in the early 2000’s, ukulele marvel Jake Shimabukuro has mesmerized audiences with his innovative and dynamic style, taking the instrument to dizzying new heights. Over a dozen solo albums, Shimabukuro has shown a knack for moving effortlessly between genres, sometimes in the same song.
After being taught the instrument by his mother at age four, Jake became a local phenom, performing on his own and in a local group Pure Heart. Early in his solo career he became a YouTube sensation when his cover of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” went viral. Since then, Jake has gone on to play the world’s most venerable venues, from The Hollywood Bowl to Lincoln Center to the Sydney Opera House and The N.O. Jazz Fests and collaborated with some of the world’s greatest musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma, Bela Fleck and The Flecktones, Jimmy Buffett, Jack Johnson, Bette Midler, Ziggy Marley, Sonny Landreth, Billy Strings, Lukas & Willie Nelson and Warren Haynes. Shimabukuro has also won his share of awards and, just a few years ago he was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as a Member for the National Council on the Arts.
One strong thread that runs through much of Shimabukuro’s work is that of collaboration. From the Trio album to Jake & Friends to Grateful and beyond, Shimabukuro thrives in the ability to feed off and inspire his fellow musicians.
For his brand-new project, Shimabukuro joins forces with his friend, drumming legend and founding member of Fleetwood Mac, Mick Fleetwood, to create a fresh new take on the Blues. “I’ve always wanted to do a Blues album and when Mick and I started talking about working together, I thought who better to work with than Mick Fleetwood?” The result is something exhilarating and unique, as these two titans of their instruments reinterpret some of the greatest songs written by some of their favorite songwriters in a Blues setting. It’s a union whose roots go back to the late 1990s when a young Shimabukuro met and played with Fleetwood at the Hawaiian Music Awards ceremony along with singer songwriter Kenny Loggins. It wasn’t until a few years ago, that the two were reconnected by a mutual friend at a Fleetwood Mac reunion concert in Nashville. That night, the seeds of the collaboration were planted at Fleetwood’s suggestion. Not long thereafter the two convened along with Jake’s touring bassist Jackson Waldhoff and keyboard player Michael Grande to start work on a new studio album in Maui. Mark Johnstone from The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band plays keys on two songs, “Need Your Love So Bad”, and “Rockin’ In The Free World”.
Over the course of two 3-day sessions, the band recorded 9 songs live in the studio. The only track that was not recorded with all of the musicians playing together was Sonny Landreth’s brilliant slide guitar on the Jeff Beck/Stevie Wonder classic “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers”. This soaring track full of peaks and valleys was a tremendous way to start the album.
The interplay between Landreth and Shimabukuro is so seamless, you’d never know that they did not play together in the same room. The Chemistry is due in large part to the two performing the song together during a recent tour. In addition, Sonny would often sit in with Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band back when Jake was a member.
Up next is a truly unique interpretation of the Blues standard, “Rollin’ N Tumblin’”. The song fades in with a swirling, delay-drenched psychedelic uke over top of Fleetwood’s tribal drumming pattern, giving credence to why Jake is often referred to as the “Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele”. Then, on a dime, Jake changes his sound and cuts to playing the song’s theme which is echoed nicely by the Hammond Organ. Jake’s playing on the track is experimental and otherworldly, at times ascending into a psych jazz rock fusion in the most visceral ways.
“Mick’s energy when he plays is so infectious. He’s such an intense musician. He pushes everyone around him and it’s so inspiring to see his facial expressions and watch his movements and the way he hits the drums,” says Shimabukuro exuberantly.
About “Kula Blues” Jake explains, “I’d never written anything that sounded this bluesy or a shuffle, so I wanted to take a stab at it and have a song where any musician could sit in without needing a chart”. Again, Jake credits Mick Fleetwood with bringing the track to life. “He just got behind the drums and without even counting it off came charging in. You either jump on the train or get outta the way!”
A couple of other standouts on the album are “Whiter Shade of Pale” and “Rockin’ in the Free World”. Of the former, Shimabukuro recalls “I was so in the moment, I remember just closing my eyes and really forgetting my pedal board and everything and just reacting to Mick and the band.”
Fortuitously, The Bridge School Benefit, founded by Neil Young had asked Jake if he would do a cover of “Rockin’ in the Free World" the same week he and Mick were in the studio. The track has an explosive energy that builds to an incendiary psychedelic guitar, ‘er make that ukulele solo spurred on by Fleetwood’s thunderous drums.
One of the things that really comes across speaking to Jake about this record is the ‘spirits in the air’ during the recordings. This is particularly apparent on their rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird”. Recorded not long after Christine McVie’s passing, the band only did one take. You can feel the emotion in the performance. “I remember Mick took a moment of silence after the song ended and you could see that he felt Christine’s presence.” Fleetwood’s tom tom groove provides the heartbeat for Shimabukuro’s floaty, ethereal uke, as he moves naturally between fast strumming chords and lilting melodic phrases. “I felt so fortunate to be able to experience that with Mick. It was very powerful to see the effect it had on him.”
Another ‘ghost in the machine’ or ‘happy accident’ was the sound of the drums leaking into the ukulele’s electric pickup. Because the musicians were so close together, you can hear all the drums on the ukulele track. When the fx are going on the uke, you get this cool subtle layer of the drum fx in the mix, contributing to the overall vibe and cohesion of the record.
Not long after the completion of the record, Maui was devastated by historic wildfires. At the benefit concert in Honolulu Fleetwood once again joined Shimabukuro and the band to perform the songs on Blues Experience for the first time. Before the performance, Fleetwood gave a powerful and inspirational speech to the community. Shimabukuro expands on this, “Mick’s like the point guard on a basketball team making everyone around him play better. It’s really incredible. He has such a huge presence, charisma and energy. It was such an honor to do this project together.
A dazzling array of musical talents will be showcased throughout the season during these hour-long programs, organized by John Beutel and sponsored by the Stoughton Area Senior Center. All Music Appreciation events are free and open to the public.
These area professional musicians will revisit the Music Appreciation Series with another stellar performance of great String Quartet music
Free Will Donation
Big Richard delivers ferocious, unapologetic acoustic music with big energy and even bigger chops. Their live shows are raucous, emotional, and irreverent — mixing ripping instrumentals, dark humor, and raw, socially charged songs. Their new album "Pet," out this February on Signature Sounds, was recorded live to tape to capture the chaos and catharsis that define their performances.
bigrichard.com
Soren Staff and Beau Janke - co-founders of folk/rock/Americana outfit Them Coulee Boys - met as camp counselors in northern Wisconsin in 2011. Their weekend workshopping of Avett Brothers and classic country tunes led to original songs and adding Soren’s brother Jens on mandolin. As the years grew, the band turned into a more rollicking outfit, adding Neil Krause on electric bass and Stas Hable on drums. The band’s name is a nod to the glacial melt-carved river valleys they call home, known by early French fur trappers as coulees. Known for wild swings of emotion during sets, it is not unusual to see fans in tears and minutes later dancing with abandon. The honesty and ability to talk and sing about the feelings and emotions that shape them has endeared them to a growing group of fans and friends.
With four full-length albums and an EP behind them, including 2019’s Die Happy (produced byTrampled By Turtles’ Dave Simonett on Lo-Hi Records) and 2021’s Namesake (produced by Grammy winner Brian Joseph), the band has garnered international attention and earned press in American Songwriter, Ditty TV, Folk Alley, and The Bluegrass Situation, as well as tours with Trampled By Turtles, Los Lobos, Old Crow Medicine Show and a spot on the songwriter’s Cayamo Cruise.
2021’s Namesake found the band following a new trajectory, combining their signature take on folk-grass and Americana with comfort on electric instruments and playing rock and roll. The record lives and breathes. It’s both intimate and bombastic. It’s the sweet aunt who makes delicious pies and the wiley uncle who’s not afraid to hit a bit of the bottle. At the bottom is the acceptance that comes with family and old friends; none of us are perfect, but there’s enough love out there to make up for it.
In 2020, they were named Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Band to Watch. In 2021, they won Bluegrass/Americana Band of the Year by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry.
Mama's Broke is a powerful duo that deliver a compelling performance with heart and raw energy. Although highly influenced by their Canadian roots, Lisa and Amy are based out of nowhere and everywhere.
Their two strong voices blend to create haunting harmonies, while they artfully juggle fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin, and incorporate traditional dance and foot percussion into their performance. Their original -and often dark- compositions push the boundaries of tradition and the constraints of genre. Drawing from old-time, Quebecois, blues, punk, celtic, balkan and doom metal, they create a soundscape that is both familiar and new.
Mama’s Broke have spent the past ten years in a near-constant state of transience, pounding the transatlantic tour trail. They've brought their dark, fiery folk-without-borders sound to major festivals and DIY punk houses alike, absorbing traditions from their maritime home in Eastern Canada all the way to Ireland and Indonesia. Nowhere is the duo's art-in-motion approach more apparent than on their long-awaited sophomore record Narrow Line (May 13, 2022 on Free Dirt Records); it's the sound of nowhere in particular, yet woven with a rich synthesis of influences that knows no borders. It earned them a JUNO nomination for Traditional Roots Album of the Year 2022. The eleven songs on Narrow Line burrow deeply, with close harmony duets, commanding vocals, and poignant contemplations on cycles of life, including birth and death. Tinges of Americana stand side-by-side with the ghosts of Eastern European fiddle tunes and ancient a cappella ballad singing, melding into an unusually accessible dark-folk sound. A careful listen of Narrow Line invokes an ephemeral sense of place—whether real or imagined—inviting us to take comfort in the infinite possibilities of life, whether or not we ever choose to settle down.
For a group defined by constant touring, it’s not surprising that the two artists that make up Mama’s Broke, Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, met on the road. As Lisa remembers it, “Amy was driving her old Mercedes from Montreal to Nova Scotia and I was looking for a ride. We spent the 17 hours in the car talking almost exclusively about music. By the time we reached Halifax we started playing together, and within a week or two became a band.” Both coming out of traveling communities that are focused on music and protest, the two owe the way in which they move through the world to the integrated and self-sustaining nature of DIY culture and activism. It was a busy life that took them on a roundabout annual touring schedule running between Canada, the United States, Ireland, the UK, and Europe. In each country, they built grassroots DIY communities to support their music or moved along the pathways of communal organizing that sustained other touring artists.
The driving force behind this band is – and has always been – the commitment to challenge borders between people, places, and traditions; while encouraging freedom of expression and community through music.
“There’s no fiction as strange as America’s current Dantean hellscape and Creekbed Carter’s the kind of artist to help us navigate it.” — Devon Leger, Songlines Magazine
The music of Creekbed Carter Hogan (he/they) is a quiet act of defiance made at the end of your rope. It is the warm feeling of solidarity coursing through your body as you link arms with strangers. It is a hard-won laugh, brittle but brave, in the face of what hurt you the most. It is finding hope where there is none, asking questions when you’re told to stay quiet, demanding a future you believe in, and facing a world hellbent on destruction with community, enthusiasm, and joy.
Armed with compassion, curiosity, and a rollicking sense of humor, Hogan has charmed audiences across the USA and the EU/UK, honing their performance and craft as they’ve shared stages with other fan favorites like labelmate Nick Shoulders, Emmylou Harris, Big Richard, Willi Carlisle, and Olive Klug. In addition to being a musician, Carter is also a fiction writer and educator, and this triad of practices helps him ask better questions to learn better lessons.
Hogan’s songs have always achieved the rare feat of braiding the personal and the political as a means of bringing people together. Now, with their second studio album PEASANTS REVOLT (out with Gar Hole Records in 2026), Hogan hones their trademark poetics and traditional fingerstyle to present a medieval-Americana manuscript of apocalypse and everyday survival. There is always more to learn, and more work to do to get there; but whether it’s a 14th century riot of peasants, a 20th century miner’s strike, or our modern-day hell, PEASANTS REVOLT was made to help us sing for our supper so we can reclaim a better world for ourselves.
A dazzling array of musical talents will be showcased throughout the season during these hour-long programs, organized by John Beutel and sponsored by the Stoughton Area Senior Center. All Music Appreciation events are free and open to the public.
The Avanti Piano Trio—Alissa Freeman (piano), Hillary Hempel (violin) and Hannah Wolkstein (cello)—brings “impressive energy and musicality” to every stage. Formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 2018, they’ve since performed across the state in concert series, festivals, live on Wisconsin Public Radio, and on PBS broadcasts.
Driven by a passion to enrich the piano-trio repertoire, The Avanti Piano Trio performs beloved standards and champions a range of styles. They provide a platform for under-explored gems and works by female composers, delivering performances both innovative and rooted in tradition
Pianist Alissa Freeman received her Doctoral and Masters Degrees in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Michigan. Alissa currently manages and teaches at Panoramic Piano Studio in Madison.
Violinist Hillary Hempel received degrees from The Colburn School and Northwestern University. She is a member of the Madison Symphony, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Hunt String Quartet.
Cellist Hannah Wolkstein studied cello at UW Madison, the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and a private apprenticeship in Atlanta with Wolfgang Laufer, cellist of the Fine Arts Quartet. She has a private cello studio at her home in Madison.
Free Will Donation
MadFiddle is thrilled to celebrate its 14th season with their annual performance at the Stoughton Opera House. MadFiddle blends traditional and contemporary fiddle music with rock, samba, jazz and string band grooves. The group features youth performers ranging in age from 7-17 jamming alongside Highway 151, featuring John Christensen (electric bass), Louka Patenaude (electric/acoustic guitars) and Nicholas Vanhaute (mandolin/acoustic guitar). Together, MadFiddle & Highway 151 show up with a blast of inherent joy that comes with playing music with friends. The group is directed by Shauncey Ali, who was awarded “Teacher of the Year” by the Madison Area Music Awards.
After fifteen years, six albums, innumerable sold out shows, and countless libations, Americana mavericks Horseshoes & Hand Grenades appropriately consider themselves a “family” on a wild, wonderful, and often whacky roller coaster. The bond between the quintet— Adam Greuel [guitar, vocals], David C. Lynch [harmonica, accordion, vocals], Collin Mettelka [fiddle, vocals], Russell Pedersen [banjo, vocals], and Samual Odin [bass, vocals]— fuels their creativity and chemistry on stage and in the studio.
“Sometimes, it feels like we’re modern day cowboys on some kind of strange journey,” Adam affirms with a laugh. “We’re five friends who set out to do something we enjoy doing, meet interesting people, see old friends, and make some new buddies along the way. Because of that sense of friendship, everything seems to happen organically. It's been one hell of a ride.”
That’s been the case since these five musicians first met in Stevens Point, WI at college, joined forces, and hit the road harder post-graduation in roughly 2013. They have ignited stages alongside everyone from Billy Strings, Greensky Bluegrass, Trampled By Turtles, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Railroad Earth, to Merle Haggard and Marty Stuart in addition to appearances at festivals and venues such as Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Delfest, High Sierra Music Festival, Blue Ox Music Festival, Red Rocks Amphitheater and Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
Their six albums—Another Round [2012], This Old Town [2013], Middle Western [2015], The Ode (2018), Miles in Blue (2020), and For Old Time’s Sake (2022) take the listener through a wide range of musical and emotional landscapes, something surely provoked by the five different members all sharing songwriting duties. Their most recent album, For Old Time’s Sake is a 13-track album that celebrates their nearly 15 years together as a band, while nodding to the musical roots that have laid the foundation of the band.
Greuel says, “We always joked about making a “new time, old time” album. At some point we realized it was a pretty good idea and things fell into place for it to happen. Man, we just love making music together. It’s always a fulfilling and interesting process watching one another come up with the parts that make up our sound. We really do our best to honor one another’s musical curiosities, and it feels like that’s what makes us sound uniquely “us”. It’s also just a joy to be able to be yourself, and that’s been something we’ve always tried to keep at the forefront of this band.”
Each generation, perhaps once a decade, bluegrass experiences a band or an artist that redefines and recenters the genre itself. Della Mae is one such band.
The GRAMMY-nominated string band was founded in 2010 and over the next decade and a half they’ve demonstrated to the roots music world, once and for all, that a band of all women is not, nor has ever been, a mere novelty. They remain at the forefront of the explosion of women instrumentalists and all-women acts in roots music and their impact is striking and measurable – not just in North America, but around the globe.
Now 15 years since their origin, Della Mae can boast their strongest lineup yet. Founders Kimber Ludiker and Celia Woodsmith are joined by guitarist and songwriter Avril Smith and vocalist and two-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year Vickie Vaughn.
There has never been a band like Della Mae in roots music before, but thanks to Kimber Ludiker, Celia Woodsmith, Avril Smith, Vickie Vaughn – and all of the women who have been part of this band over its long life – we know there will be many more bands, singers, songwriters, and pickers just like Della Mae in the future.
Michael Perry returns to the Stoughton Opera House with fresh stories, a few favorites, and the same relaxed roughneck vibe that has steadily grown his fanbase for two decades. If you've ever seen Perry live, you know to expect an evening of laughter punctuated with soulful moments, surprise tangents, and steel-toed boots.
In a career that has already spanned a half-century, Jorma Kaukonen has been one of the most highly respected interpreters of American roots music, blues, and rock. A member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy recipient, Jorma was at the forefront of popular rock and roll, one of the founders of the San Francisco sound and a progenitor of Psychedelic Rock. He is a founding member of two legendary bands, Jefferson Airplane and the still-touring Hot Tuna. Jorma Kaukonen is a music legend and one of the finest singer-songwriters in his field. He continues to tour the world bringing his unique styling to old blues tunes while presenting new songs of weight and dimension. His secret is in playing spontaneous and unfiltered music, with an individual expression of personality. In 2016, Jorma, Jack Casady and the other members of Jefferson Airplane were awarded The GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award for their contributions to American music.
Jorma’s originals from his poignant instrumentals, “Embryonic Journey” (Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow) and “The Water Song” (Hot Tuna - Burgers), to his insightful lyrics, “Genesis” (Jorma Kaukonen - Quah), have stood the test of time. Having an undeniable feeling of significance, they have been included in films and covered by many artists who have been inspired by his depth and continuity of spirit.
Jorma Kaukonen is constantly looking to take his musical horizons further still, always moving forward and he is quick to say that teaching is among the most rewarding aspects of his career. “You just can’t go backward. The arrow of time only goes in one direction.”
A dazzling array of musical talents will be showcased throughout the season during these hour-long programs, organized by John Beutel and sponsored by the Stoughton Area Senior Center. All Music Appreciation events are free and open to the public.
In the dusty town of Lonesome Gulch, the swaggering Sergeant Corey looms over timid Jimmy Reno as they vie for Miss Addy’s attention, while the sly Dr. Dulcamara rolls in, peddling her so-called magic elixir – nothing but a bottle of root beer!
Sixteen local elementary students join Opera for the Young's professional artists on stage as the Justice of the Peace, the Soldier, and the lively townsfolk.
With playful melodies and laugh-out-loud comedy, The Elixir of Love whisks audiences away to America’s Old West, packed with timeless music, mischievous fun, and lessons on growing up and forgiveness.
TICKETS: $5 ADMISSION AT THE DOOR
Yasmin Williams is an innovative guitarist and composer known for her unique compositional approach and expansive instrumental style. Her latest album Acadia, released on Nonesuch Records, showcases her evolution from solo performer to collaborative artist, featuring partnerships with notable musicians like Aoife O'Donovan and Immanuel Wilkins.
Williams' distinctive creative process involves "ruminating" on single notes until compositions naturally emerge. Beyond traditional fingerpicked guitar, she demonstrates mastery of multiple instruments including kora, harp guitar, banjo, and electric guitar. Her music, while rooted in folk traditions, transcends conventional structures to incorporate elements of progressive rock and experimental composition.
Following her acclaimed 2021 album Urban Driftwood, Acadia represents a significant artistic expansion, featuring three distinct sections that move from traditional folk influences to atmospheric soundscapes and experimental arrangements. Williams' approach emphasizes sustained tones and intricate articulation, creating music that balances technical precision with ethereal, floating melodies.
Yasmin Williams, raised in Woodbridge, Virginia, grew up surrounded by music. Inspired by a wide range of artists—from Chuck Brown to Jimi Hendrix—she began developing her innovative fingerstyle acoustic guitar technique while studying music theory and composition at NYU. Williams has released two previous albums, Unwind (2018) and Urban Driftwood (2021), where she introduced unique approaches, such as playing kalimba and guitar simultaneously. She also incorporates instruments like the kora, harp guitar, and banjo. Despite her use of folk instruments, she resists being categorized within the genre, valuing creative freedom over conformity. Her latest record, Acadia, is out now via Nonesuch Records.
During the creative explosion that was country music in the 1990s Suzy Bogguss sold 4 million records with sparkling radio hits like “Outbound Plane”, “Someday Soon”, “Letting Go”, “Drive South”, and “Hey Cinderella". But you can’t peg Suzy that easily…
In the midst of her country popularity she took time off to make a duets album with the legendary Chet Atkins. In 2003 she made an album of modern swing music with Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel. An album of original music in 2007 landed her at number 4 on the jazz charts. Her folk music roots show through in the Grammy she earned for her work on Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster, and in her critically acclaimed album and book project from 2011, American Folk Songbook. In 2014 she released Lucky, a collection of songs written by Merle Haggard and interpreted through Suzy’s crystal vocals from the female point of view. Her latest offering, Prayin’ For Sunshine, is an Americana tour de force with all songs written by Bogguss. She continues to tour the world, both on her own and with fellow country radio divas Terri Clark and Pam Tills as “Chicks With Hits” and more recently, with Kathy Mattea on their Together At Last tour. So yes, you can call her a country singer if you want, but really that’s just the beginning.
His latest project, “Electric Larry Land” presents Keel’s simultaneously gritty and suave original music applied to an electric format, creating what he calls a “sonic groove-and-vibe machine”. With this unit, Keel gives rein to his innate drive to expand his songs and playing style with this high-powered, highly creative and highly accomplished 4-piece band comprised of electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass and drums. It’s dynamic Acoustic Rock at its finest.
Keel and “Electric Larry Land” are currently in pre-production on new recordings, with a full album release set for 2026 .
A dazzling array of musical talents will be showcased throughout the season during these hour-long programs, organized by John Beutel and sponsored by the Stoughton Area Senior Center. All Music Appreciation events are free and open to the public.
The Stoughton High School Music Department has a long and proud history of participating in festivals throughout southern Wisconsin. Each year, most members of the department participate in the Wisconsin School Music Associations’s Solo & Ensemble festival. The value of Solo & Ensemble festival participation lies in the choice of quality literature, experiencing a variety of performances, the setting of goals, and realizing the satisfaction of growth and the courage to perform alone or in small groups.
The students performing on this program successfully performed their solos or chamber pieces at this year’s District Festival (hosted by Stoughton High School) and earned a slot at the State Solo & Ensemble festival at UW Whitewater on April 25.
Country Music Hall of Famer, five-time Grammy-winner, and AMA Lifetime Achievement honoree Marty Stuart picks up where he left off on Altitude, his first new album in five years, exploring a cosmic country landscape populated by dreamers and drifters, misfits and angels, honky-tonk heroes and lonesome lovers. There’s a desert flare to the music here, a sweeping, spacious feel that conjures up wide-open horizons and endless stretches of two-lane highway, and the production is raw and cinematic to match, tipping its cap both to Bakersfield and Laurel Canyon as it balances jangle and twang in equal measure. While it would be easy for an artist as accomplished as Stuart to rest on his laurels, Altitude instead showcases the work of a searcher with an insatiable appetite for growth and reflection, one whose ambition, much like his keen wit and rich imagination, only seems to grow with each and every release.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, MS, Stuart got his start in bluegrass legend Lester Flatts’ band at the tender age of thirteen, and by twenty-one, he was working in the studio and on the road with Johnny Cash. Though Stuart built his early reputation backing up royalty, it wasn’t long before Nashville recognized him as a star in his own right, and over the course of forty-plus years as a solo artist, he would go on to release more than twenty major label albums, scoring platinum sales, hit singles, and just about every honor the industry could bestow along the way.
Country Music Hall of Famer, five-time Grammy-winner, and AMA Lifetime Achievement honoree Marty Stuart picks up where he left off on Altitude, his first new album in five years, exploring a cosmic country landscape populated by dreamers and drifters, misfits and angels, honky-tonk heroes and lonesome lovers. There’s a desert flare to the music here, a sweeping, spacious feel that conjures up wide-open horizons and endless stretches of two-lane highway, and the production is raw and cinematic to match, tipping its cap both to Bakersfield and Laurel Canyon as it balances jangle and twang in equal measure. While it would be easy for an artist as accomplished as Stuart to rest on his laurels, Altitude instead showcases the work of a searcher with an insatiable appetite for growth and reflection, one whose ambition, much like his keen wit and rich imagination, only seems to grow with each and every release.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, MS, Stuart got his start in bluegrass legend Lester Flatts’ band at the tender age of thirteen, and by twenty-one, he was working in the studio and on the road with Johnny Cash. Though Stuart built his early reputation backing up royalty, it wasn’t long before Nashville recognized him as a star in his own right, and over the course of forty-plus years as a solo artist, he would go on to release more than twenty major label albums, scoring platinum sales, hit singles, and just about every honor the industry could bestow along the way.
With countless tunes you know from the first note, rip-roaring gigs you can count on, and a whole lot of energy you’ll take home with you, BoDeans continue to contribute to the American songbook as a tried-and-true institution. Founded and led by original frontman, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Kurt Neumann, the band’s catalog consists of generational anthems such as “Good Things,” You Don’t Get Much,” “Idaho,” and “Closer To Free,” just to name a few. However, they still reflect the soul and spirit of the modern American experience on their fourteenth full-length offering, 4 The Last Time. “The music of BoDeans has defined much of my life,” muses Kurt. “I consider myself fortunate to be able to do what I enjoy. I wanted to creatively do something positive for the world instead of just taking from it. So, this is what I’ve chosen to do with my life. The music was always about the blue-collar dream of a better life, and it still is.”
BoDeans emerged out of Waukesha, WI in 1986 with the seminal debut, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, produced by T Bone Burnett. Following Outside Looking In [1987], Home [1989], and Black and White [1991], Go Slow Down [1993] yielded “Closer To Free,” which famously served as the theme song for the smash hit television series Party of Five. With a sought-after discography, their music landed hundreds of television and film placements. Meanwhile, they transformed into a proven live phenomenon by supporting the likes of U2, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, The Pretenders, and David Bowie in addition to gracing the bills of Farm Aid, Summerfest, and ACL. Speaking to the group’s legacy, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame permanently entrenched BoDeans in the Midwest Artists exhibit. Most recently, 2017’s Thirteen arrived to widespread acclaim from The Chicago Tribune and Glide Magazine who spotlighted the music’s “understated grace—an attribute that no doubt fuels the steadfast approach Kurt Neumann has employed of his thirty-plus years as a ‘BoDean’.” Along the way, NETFLIX’s The Ranch also utilized over 70 tunes from Kurt, and he launched his own podcast Staring At The World. In the midst of the Global Pandemic, he wrote and recorded what would become 4 The Last Time in his Austin, TX studio. “We have a classic guitar-driven midwestern rock pop sound,” he goes on. “I wanted to make sure there was still some music out there with guitars on it. I feel like I’m getting better at this in my fifties. So, there are a lot of those big rock songs we’ve done for years. I got that vibe down on this record.” Fittingly, BoDeans kick this chapter off with the high-energy anthem “Ya Gotta Go Crazy.” It charges forward with roots-y countrified swagger punctuated by an unshakable chant and hummable guitar solo. “When Spring came in Wisconsin, everyone rolled their windows down and turned the radio up,” he recalls. “The music sounded so good. This is meant to be one of those songs that makes you crank the volume and have some fun. In light of difficult times when you’re dealing with depression or challenges, sometimes you’ve got to go out and do some shit that seems a little crazy.” Then, there’s “A Little More Time.” The stomping groove gives way to another anthemic refrain as he pleads, “Come on baby won’t you give me just a little more time.” “On the day Tom Petty died, I was really sad,” he admits. “I’ve always been astounded by how good he was— from the time I discovered him at 15 until now. This is my little nod to Tom and The Heartbreakers for what they gave me.” On “I’m A Mess,” he examines the two lives of a career musician. “I’ve done this for 35 years,” he says. “As you get older, you start a family. When you’re on the traveling circus, you feel really disconnected from your life at home. You’re a mess without the other half of your life.” “Anyone But You” unfolds as a poignant love song over dreamy piano. Meanwhile, the title track “4 The Last Time” captures the breaking point of a relationship through an emotionally charged vocal originally popularized through an early incarnation of the tune on The Ranch. “It’s about the despair you go through when a relationship is dying and you can’t save it,” he continues. “It’s a tough and painful place to be. When ‘4 The Last Time’ was on The Ranch, I got so many messages asking for a full version. I thought the title might get everyone talking since we’ve been around for so long. Is this the last time? It’s a topic of conversation when you mention the history of the band.” The opener “Loved” importantly doubles as a mission statement. With its robust guitars and wild solo, it culminates on a promise to his kids, “You’re gonna know you were loved.” “It wasn’t until later I found out my mom sent me to the ER when I was two-years-old for getting fingerprints on the dining room table,” he sighs. “I was just surviving as a kid. I have children, and I want them to know how much I love them and how much they mean to me. I didn’t get that from my parents. It’s a message to my kids that I’m going to make sure they know how important they are.” In the end, BoDeans make an impact through such honesty. “For the next year, I’m going to be showing up in towns everywhere and trying to bring people together a little more,” he leaves off. “Come to a BoDeans gig, sing along, and forget about everything else. That’s why I play nowadays. I’d like to keep pushing that message as long as I can.”
With countless tunes you know from the first note, rip-roaring gigs you can count on, and a whole lot of energy you’ll take home with you, BoDeans continue to contribute to the American songbook as a tried-and-true institution. Founded and led by original frontman, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Kurt Neumann, the band’s catalog consists of generational anthems such as “Good Things,” You Don’t Get Much,” “Idaho,” and “Closer To Free,” just to name a few. However, they still reflect the soul and spirit of the modern American experience on their fourteenth full-length offering, 4 The Last Time. “The music of BoDeans has defined much of my life,” muses Kurt. “I consider myself fortunate to be able to do what I enjoy. I wanted to creatively do something positive for the world instead of just taking from it. So, this is what I’ve chosen to do with my life. The music was always about the blue-collar dream of a better life, and it still is.”
BoDeans emerged out of Waukesha, WI in 1986 with the seminal debut, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, produced by T Bone Burnett. Following Outside Looking In [1987], Home [1989], and Black and White [1991], Go Slow Down [1993] yielded “Closer To Free,” which famously served as the theme song for the smash hit television series Party of Five. With a sought-after discography, their music landed hundreds of television and film placements. Meanwhile, they transformed into a proven live phenomenon by supporting the likes of U2, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, The Pretenders, and David Bowie in addition to gracing the bills of Farm Aid, Summerfest, and ACL. Speaking to the group’s legacy, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame permanently entrenched BoDeans in the Midwest Artists exhibit. Most recently, 2017’s Thirteen arrived to widespread acclaim from The Chicago Tribune and Glide Magazine who spotlighted the music’s “understated grace—an attribute that no doubt fuels the steadfast approach Kurt Neumann has employed of his thirty-plus years as a ‘BoDean’.” Along the way, NETFLIX’s The Ranch also utilized over 70 tunes from Kurt, and he launched his own podcast Staring At The World. In the midst of the Global Pandemic, he wrote and recorded what would become 4 The Last Time in his Austin, TX studio. “We have a classic guitar-driven midwestern rock pop sound,” he goes on. “I wanted to make sure there was still some music out there with guitars on it. I feel like I’m getting better at this in my fifties. So, there are a lot of those big rock songs we’ve done for years. I got that vibe down on this record.” Fittingly, BoDeans kick this chapter off with the high-energy anthem “Ya Gotta Go Crazy.” It charges forward with roots-y countrified swagger punctuated by an unshakable chant and hummable guitar solo. “When Spring came in Wisconsin, everyone rolled their windows down and turned the radio up,” he recalls. “The music sounded so good. This is meant to be one of those songs that makes you crank the volume and have some fun. In light of difficult times when you’re dealing with depression or challenges, sometimes you’ve got to go out and do some shit that seems a little crazy.” Then, there’s “A Little More Time.” The stomping groove gives way to another anthemic refrain as he pleads, “Come on baby won’t you give me just a little more time.” “On the day Tom Petty died, I was really sad,” he admits. “I’ve always been astounded by how good he was— from the time I discovered him at 15 until now. This is my little nod to Tom and The Heartbreakers for what they gave me.” On “I’m A Mess,” he examines the two lives of a career musician. “I’ve done this for 35 years,” he says. “As you get older, you start a family. When you’re on the traveling circus, you feel really disconnected from your life at home. You’re a mess without the other half of your life.” “Anyone But You” unfolds as a poignant love song over dreamy piano. Meanwhile, the title track “4 The Last Time” captures the breaking point of a relationship through an emotionally charged vocal originally popularized through an early incarnation of the tune on The Ranch. “It’s about the despair you go through when a relationship is dying and you can’t save it,” he continues. “It’s a tough and painful place to be. When ‘4 The Last Time’ was on The Ranch, I got so many messages asking for a full version. I thought the title might get everyone talking since we’ve been around for so long. Is this the last time? It’s a topic of conversation when you mention the history of the band.” The opener “Loved” importantly doubles as a mission statement. With its robust guitars and wild solo, it culminates on a promise to his kids, “You’re gonna know you were loved.” “It wasn’t until later I found out my mom sent me to the ER when I was two-years-old for getting fingerprints on the dining room table,” he sighs. “I was just surviving as a kid. I have children, and I want them to know how much I love them and how much they mean to me. I didn’t get that from my parents. It’s a message to my kids that I’m going to make sure they know how important they are.” In the end, BoDeans make an impact through such honesty. “For the next year, I’m going to be showing up in towns everywhere and trying to bring people together a little more,” he leaves off. “Come to a BoDeans gig, sing along, and forget about everything else. That’s why I play nowadays. I’d like to keep pushing that message as long as I can.”
A dazzling array of musical talents will be showcased throughout the season during these hour-long programs, organized by John Beutel and sponsored by the Stoughton Area Senior Center. All Music Appreciation events are free and open to the public.
UW-Madison lecturer, pianist and composer, Eric Tran returns to perform a piano concert with engaging commentary that will make the works easily understood by all. Tran has performed in Italy, Korea, China, Canada, and in 20 US states. His compositions have been reviewed by the SF Examiner as having “a tendency to thwart the usual expectations… fascinating”. His knack for designing an engaging program with relatable commentary has made him a Music Appreciation favorite. The concert will conclude with a brief Q&A session.
Eric has had a number of really accomplished and very informative presentations for our series. He returns to share some of his own compositions, transcriptions and musical information with us.
For more information, visit erictranmusic.com
Free Will Donation
A dazzling array of musical talents will be showcased throughout the season during these hour-long programs, organized by John Beutel and sponsored by the Stoughton Area Senior Center. All Music Appreciation events are free and open to the public.
The Galaxy Quartet is a Madison-based string quartet featuring Maynie Bradley and Hillary Hempel on violin, Kayla Schultz on viola, and Alex Chambers-Ozasky on cello. Performing throughout the Midwest, they curate engaging programs that blend the classical with the modern, aiming to spark curiosity and reflection through their performances.
While the group enjoys a galactic theme, their name is actually a playful mash-up of their cellist Alex’s name and “the gals” of the group - Alex + gals = Galaxy.
Free-will Donation
“There were already people who had deviated from Bill Monroe’s style of bluegrass,” Bush explains. “If anything, we were reviving a newgrass style that had already been started. Our kind of music tended to come from the idea of long jams and rock-&-roll songs.”
Shunned by some traditionalists, New Grass Revival played bluegrass fests slotted in late-night sets for the “long-hairs and hippies.” Quickly becoming a favorite of rock audiences, they garnered the attention of Leon Russell, one of the era’s most popular artists. Russell hired New Grass as his supporting act on a massive tour in 1973 that put the band nightly in front of tens of thousands.
At tour’s end, it was back to headlining six nights a week at an Indiana pizza joint. But, they were resilient, grinding it out on the road. And in 1975 the Revival first played Telluride, Colorado, forming a connection with the region and its fans that has prospered for 45 years.
Bush was the newgrass commando, incorporating a variety of genres into the repertoire. He discovered a sibling similarity with the reggae rhythms of Marley and The Wailers, and, accordingly, developed an ear-turning original style of mandolin playing. The group issued five albums in their first seven years, and in 1979 became Russell’s backing band. By 1981, Johnson and Burch left the group, replaced by banjoist Bela Fleck and guitarist Pat Flynn.
A three-record contract with Capitol Records and a conscious turn to the country market took the Revival to new commercial heights. Bush survived a life-threatening bout with cancer, and returned to the group that’d become more popular than ever. They released chart-climbing singles, made videos, earned Grammy nominations, and, at their zenith, called it quits.
“We were on the verge of getting bigger,” recalls Bush. “Or maybe we’d gone as far as we could. I’d spent 18 years in a four-piece partnership. I needed a break. But, I appreciated the 18 years we had.”
Bush worked the next five years with Emmylou Harris’ Nash Ramblers, then a stint with Lyle Lovett. He took home three-straight IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year awards, 1990-92 (and a fourth in 2007). In 1995 he reunited with Fleck, now a burgeoning superstar, and toured with the Flecktones, reigniting his penchant for improvisation. Then, finally, after a quarter-century of making music with New Grass Revival and collaborating with other bands, Sam Bush went solo.
He’s released seven albums and a live DVD over the past two decades. In 2009, the Americana Music Association awarded Bush the Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist. Punch Brothers, Steep Canyon Rangers, and Greensky Bluegrass are just a few present-day bluegrass vanguards among so many musicians he’s influenced. His performances are annual highlights of the festival circuit, with Bush’s joyous perennial appearances at the town’s famed bluegrass fest earning him the title, “King of Telluride.”
“With this band I have now I am free to try anything. Looking back at the last 50 years of playing newgrass, with the elements of jazz improvisation and rock & roll, jamming, playing with New Grass Revival, Leon, and Emmylou; it’s a culmination of all of that,” says Bush. “I can unapologetically stand onstage and feel I’m representing those songs well.”
The People Brothers Band’s unique brand of rhythm and soul features some of the most talented vocalists and musicians in the region. The vibrant group of longtime friends, collaborators, and multi-dimensional artists formed in 2008 as an open mic songwriting outfit and hasn’t looked back since. The band has cultivated a captivating musical alchemy through collective dedication to their craft, the Midwest music community, and each other. The People Brothers Band is united by their shared vision of uplifting friends and fans through music.
