Monday, September 30, 2024
12 PM
Musicians Nick Montemarano and David Mehalko will perform Irish folk music.
Nick Montemarano is a musician from San Diego, California who is commonly known for being a tenor banjo player. Although Nick plays mostly traditional Irish music currently, he has previously delved into several other genres, from original acoustic guitar music, brazilian batucada, punk and rock, folk, bluegrass, and old time. Within those genres, Nick has recorded and released 7 studio albums, toured the US 3 times, and has performed internationally.
After graduating from UCLA with a music history degree, Nick traveled throughout Europe, inevitably bringing him to explore Ireland. It's there Irish traditional music piqued his interest, and so began his journey of learning. Years of repetition, tune learning, and sessions has fueled his passion for the music, bringing him to various states across the US, internationally and to festivals to play.
David Mehalko is a musician originally from Dallas, Texas, best known for his expertise as a fiddle player. He was the frontman for Irish/folk band Flashpoint during their 7-year stint and in 2014 was awarded first place in the senior fiddle competition at the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil.
Studying music from the early of age of 5, he was introduced to traditional Irish music as a teen, which he quickly fell in love with. Subsequently he traveled around the world seeking instruction in Irish fiddle, leading him to such festivals as the Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, the Swannanoa Gathering, and the Friday Harbor Irish Music Week. Through these experiences and many more he studied with some of the best Irish fiddle players in the world, including Oisín Mac Diarmada, Randal Bays, Brian Conway, Martin Hayes, and Liz Carroll. Additionally he spent a year in Valencia, Spain, studying jazz violin with Berklee College of Music.
Free concerts at noon every Monday year-round . . . no wonder the Mini-Concerts are the longest-running and one of the most popular classical music series at the library! This series was founded by Glenna Hazleton in 1970 at the Athenaeum, and has been going strong ever since. The concerts feature both local and touring musicians, prize-winning students, university music faculty members, local chamber ensembles. . . and the repertoire also includes jazz, folk, and world music. There are no reservations, no tickets . . . just line up at the side door of the Athenaeum before noon. (Donations are always welcome!) Mini-Concerts take place every Monday at noon and last about an hour.
The concerts will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for these events. Doors open at 11:50 a.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. These events will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each concert.