The Bachands are back, and the Gardeners Green Folk Music Club in Merville has them for a pair of concerts.
Quinn and Qristina Bachand are two of the most talented sibling artists in Canada, and Comox Valley music lovers have a chance to see them perform together, not once, but twice, next month.
Because of the popularity of these young performers, there will be two concerts: Thursday, June 12 and Friday, June 13. Both shows start at 7 p.m.
The Canadian-born duo has been amassing an astonishing number of national and international accolades on the Celtic and folk scene, including 2010 Top Traditional Group and 2011 Top Duo at the Irish Music Awards. The Bachands have been nominated for three Canadian Folk Music Awards since 2009 and won the award for Young Performer of the Year at the 2013 Vancouver Island Music Awards.
Many local fans saw Quinn accompanying Ashley McIsaac at the Native Son’s Hall during the Winter Bites Festival – the incredible young guitarist who Ashley said is “the best accompanist (I’ve) ever played with.”
Quinn, who is only 18 years old, has been accompanying Ashley on various tours for the past five years or so.
He has also accompanied Natalie McMaster on tour, and was also in a duo with well-known Ontario fiddler Pierre Schryer, at Gardeners Green last year. Most recently, Quinn recently shared the bill at the Merville Hall with fiddler Shane Cook.
He is a musical prodigy; a master of guitar, banjo and violin – in great demand to play with top performers. Besides his folk and classical musical abilities, he also has formed a gypsy jazz band Brishen.
Quinn has spent much of his life playing with his older sister Qristina, who is a classically-trained violinist and fantastic fiddler.
The pair played two sold-out concerts at Gardeners Green two years ago, and the folk club is thrilled to have them back again.
The siblings are at an important juncture in their lives. Qristina relocated to Amsterdam in 2013, finishing a master’s degree in public health.
Quinn will be leaving for Boston in the fall to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he has been awarded a full scholarship.
While they continue to be busy with many projects, including recording their third CD together, they are as committed as ever to their musical partnership, with tours and performances scheduled in Canada, the U.S. and Europe well into 2015.
The Merville concerts will be sandwiched between the Orkney Folk Festival in Scotland and a tour of PEI.
Tickets to the house concerts are $20 each ($10 kids) and must be reserved in advance.
All the takings go directly to the performers.
Tickets include hot drinks and a dessert buffet.
For further info and to reserve tickets call the Gardeners Green Folk Music Club at 250-337-5337.
For more info about the Bachands and music samples, visit their website at www.qbachand.com.
