New England Celtic Arts in partnership with the Franco-American Heritage Center, is presenting renown Prince Edward Island fiddler and step-dancer Cynthia McLeod. She will be making a swing Maine next week, beginning with the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston on Tuesday, April 6,  at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center in South Carthage,  Wednesday, April 7, and at Unity College Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, April 8. Curtain is at 7 p.m. at FAHC and Skye and 7:30 p.m. in Unity. There is a pre-show jam session 45 minutes prior to curtain at all three venues. Audience members are encouraged to bring their instruments and jam with the artists for a few minutes.

From her home base on Prince Edward Island, Canada, MacLeod has built an international reputation that has taken her around the world. It’s a reputation founded in raw talent, nurtured by boundless energy, and polished to a gleaming finish by a rigorous touring schedule.

Just as remarkable is the acceptance and respect accorded McLeod by her peers. In a part of the world known for dazzlingly talented fiddlers, fellow musicians have awarded her more than a dozen Music PEI awards, including multiple awards as Roots/Traditional Artist of the Year and Instrumental Artist of the Year. Audiences have also twice chosen her as Entertainer of the Year.

She has also produced three critically acclaimed (and top-selling) CDs. “Head Over Heels” (2002) won her instant credibility with a hard-bitten music industry and was named Album of the Year. Her second CD, “Crackerjack” (2004), built on her growing reputation as a precise, lively interpreter of traditional fiddle music. “Hot Off The Floor” (2007) combined that traditional sound with newer compositions and cemented McLeod’s  place among the very best in East Coast fiddle music.

Her grace and charm with an audience is unchanged whether she is performing at home at her perpetually standing-room-only ceilidhs in Brackley Beach, PEI, or taking the stage in front of thousands at the World Expo in Aichi, Japan.

Her fans know what to expect from

Wingman, Jeff Matheson has been actively involved in music since childhood and has become fluent in many music genres including folk, country, gospel, Celtic and rock. This diversity has strengthened his natural gift to compose and arrange unique and powerful melodies. His percussive and innovative approach to piano and guitar playing is distinct and is the very reason why he is in high demand for live performances, recording sessions, and as an instructor for music workshops.  Matheson is  a real “people person,” looking for every opportunity to mingle with his audiences.

The Franco American Heritage Center is located on 46 Cedar St., in Lewiston. Skye Theater is located 3 miles West of East Dixfield village at 2 Highland Drive off Winter Hill Rd and US RT. 2 in South Carthage. UCCPA is at 42 Depot Street in Unity. For reservations at the theater you wish to attend call: FAHC at 689-2000, Skye Theatre at 562-4445, or UCCPA at 948-7469. Tickets are $12 at FAHC and $10 at Skye and Unity

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