CARTHAGE - New England Celtic Arts will host the April Verch Band at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 16. A seasoned entertainer with a demanding touring schedule, Verch has released seven albums, including her 2001 Rounder Records release "Verchuosity," which earned a JUNO nomination (the Canadian equivalent to a Grammy) for best roots/traditional album.

Her 2008 release features her touring band and includes other familiar names - Tim Stafford, Larry Cordle, Ron Block, Melonie Cannon, and Sam Bush - among the songwriters, harmony vocalists and instrumentalists.

Following a year of intensive study at Boston's Berklee School of Music, she launched her professional career by winning the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion and the Canadian Open Fiddle Champion titles - distinguishing herself as the first and only woman to win both.

Verch is not only a world-class fiddler, she is a world-class dancer and a singer whose voice has been hailed as "absolutely captivating" by the Toronto Star. She tours tirelessly, winning over audiences not only with sheer technical ability, but also with her charm, humor and boundless energy on stage. She crosses genres easily from bluegrass to Brazilian to Celtic.

Other members of the April Verch Band are world-class musicians Marc Bru on percussion, Lincoln Meyers on guitar and Cody Walters on upright-electric bass. The band tours across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe.

A preshow jam will begin at 6:30 p.m. Bring your musical instruments.

Tickets are $10 at the door. Call 562-4445 for reservations. Skye Theater is at 2 Highland Drive off Winter Hill Road and U.S. Route 2. For more information, log on to www.necelticarts.com.