February 24th, 2020 8:45pm Stage 2
Celebrating Rockwood Music Hall’s 15-Year Anniversary!
Amber Rubarth
In her unassuming yet beguiling way, Amber Rubarth draws you into a world where wonder and high-minded concepts weave into a poetic tapestry, a world where space and time can come screeching to a halt with “songs so strong they sound like classics” (Acoustic Guitar). She has toured from South Africa to Japan, all across Europe and even Carnegie Hall, sharing stages with such greats as Emmylou Harris, Kenny Loggins, Richie Havens, Dr. Ralph Stanley, and Jason Mraz, and is Grand Prize winner of NPR Mountain Stage song contest.
Rubarth's newest album 'Wildflowers in the Graveyard' explores life, death and renewal in nature and relationships. All songs are self-penned and recorded to 2" tape with Matt Andrews (Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings) in Nashville. The album's nuances reveal with the elegance of a wildflower.
Rubarth made her acting debut starring in the feature film ‘American Folk’ alongside folk artist Joe Purdy. The film won various festivals and was released in theaters early 2019, with a soundtrack featuring John Prine, Jerry Garcia & David Grisman (Thirty Tigers). Rubarth has scored and composed for many films including Sundance Festival winner 'Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work' (with Paul Brill) and the award-winning documentary ‘Desert Runners.' She is also co-founder of Brooklyn indie band The Paper Raincoat which is currently being turned into a musical, and UK-based harmony folk-trio Applewood Road, whose debut album was named The Telegraph's Best Albums of 2016.
Dave Eggar
New Age pianist Dave Eggar began his career as a Leonard Bernstein scholar at Harvard University, making his professional debut performing at Carnegie Hall; appearances at the Kennedy Center followed, and in 1987, he was named a Presidential Scholar of the Arts. Upon receiving his doctorate from the Julliard School of Music, Eggar performed in a wide range of musical styles with acts ranging from the Who to Ornette Coleman to Kathleen Battle; he also scored a number of films including Claire Dolan and Henry Hill. After accepting a teaching position at New York University, Eggar made his solo debut in 1998 with Serenity. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
Max ZT
Lauded as the “Jimi Hendrix of Hammered Dulcimer" by NPR, and a "Force of nature" by NY Music Daily, Max ZT is an innovator of the instrument. Taking his roots from classical Irish folk music, Max has transplanted his compositional techniques to both Senegal, where he studied the Mandinko technique with the Cissoko griot family, and to Mumbai, India, where he received a grant to study under the great santoor master Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. His fresh perspective and bold experimentalism have been the backbone to beautiful, complex, and genuine compositions, while his unorthodox playing style has been a pioneering force in revolutionizing dulcimer techniques.
Max has enlivened the conceptual framework of traditional folk music by fusing multi-cultural roots and traditions to create a truly compelling sound.
Max ZT has shared the stage with some of the most influential international and national musical leaders of the century including Pt. Ravi Shankar, Jon Bon Jovi, Karsh Kale, Bela Fleck, Victor Wooten, Tinariwen, Jimmy Cliff, and more. With his eighth record released, he is, as Timeout NY states “A sight to behold."
MaxZT is based out of Brooklyn, New York, and in 2005, won the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship. He's recorded with a vast array of artists across musical genres, ranging from Victor Wooten, to The Goo Goo Dolls, to 2012 American Idol Phil Phillips, to Of Montreal.