2024-2025
GLOBAL MUSIC ANDJAZZ
concert series
Saturday, February 8, 2025
The Wolf Performance Hall
SHOW 8:00PM DOORS 7:00PM
Hilario Duran Trio
Sunfest proudly presents Latin jazz sensation, Hilario Duran, with Roberto Occhipinti on Bass and Ahmed Mitchel on Drums!
"Juno and Grammy Award-winning pianist, composer, arranger, and musical director of remarkable virtuosity, Hilario Durán, is well recognized for his piano playing and composing skills. The Cuban-born musician grew up in Havana in a musical family, surrounded by various musical influences. Classically trained, Duran's art form describes all musical elements, and the originality and quality of his music have been influenced by the Cuban pianists, composers, and directors of the golden age of Cuban music.”
Hilario Duran and his Latin Jazz Big Band – "Cry Me A River" 2024 Best Jazz Album of the Year (Group) Juno Winner
2024 Latin Grammy Winner – "Night In Tunisia" Best Arrangement of the Year
2024 Grammy Nomination - "I Remember Mingus" Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella
🎫 Tickets now available!
Friday, February 28, 2025
London Brewing Co-operative
SHOW 8:00PM DOORS 7:00PM
AYSAY
Sunfest brings you the brilliant musical imagination of Denmark-based band, AYSAY.
"AySay is a Danish-Turkish-Kurdish trio creating a captivating fusion of Nordic and Anatolian sounds.
Fronted by Luna Ersahin, who brings her Turkish-Danish-Kurdish heritage into each performance, the band’s music is both soulful and energetic, combining traditional instruments like the saz and darbuka with contemporary pop and electronic elements. Their music is as much about celebrating diversity as it is about bridging worlds, making AySay an exciting voice in the global music scene.
Their powerful performances and genre-crossing style have earned them critical acclaim, including four Danish Music Awards and their performances, described as both vibrant and profound, have captivated audiences at major European festivals such as Roskilde Festival, Eurosonic and Fusion Festival.
With vibrant live shows and a unique cultural tapestry, AySay redefines world music for a global audience."
(@AySayBand, YouTube)
🎫 Tickets now available!
Sunday, March 2, 2025
Chaucer’s Pub
7:30PM SHOW
NewBerry & Verch
The folk stylings of Newberry & Verch, presented by Sunfest in cooperation with Cuckoo’s Nest Folk Club.
Growing up, Joe Newberry and April Verch absorbed traditions of home and hearth – in his Missouri Ozarks and her Ottawa Valley of Canada. Although they are on the road much of the year, the two musicians are fond of saying that they are rarely homesick, because their music means they always have a bit of home with them wherever they go.
Joe Newberry comes from a family of singers and dancers. He took up the guitar and banjo as a boy and learned fiddle tunes from great Missouri fiddlers. April Verch grew up listening to her Dad’s country band play for dances in the Ottawa Valley. She started step dancing at age three a nd fiddling at age six. In a Newberry & Verch show, delighted audiences see first-hand the roots of their music, their love of performing, and their strong musical connection. Original songs join timeless classics. Stories warm the heart, and give audiences a chance to understand where the music comes from. Lively fiddle and banjo numbers combine with traditional dance steps to illustrate happy times when people made their own fun.
🎫 Tickets now available!
Friday, March 7, 2025
Wolf Performance Hall
SHOW 8:00PM DOORS 7:00PM
Jane Bunnett: FT.Magic Sax Quartet, Orlando “Maraca” Valle & Maqueque
Sunfest invites you to immerse yourself in the phenomenal jazz stylings of Jane Bunnett: Warm winds of Cuba, featuring Magic Sax Quartet, Orlando “Maraca” Valle & Maqueque.
“Five-time Juno Award winner and an internationally acclaimed musician, Bunnett is known for her creative integrity, improvisational daring, and courageous artistry. Her exploration of Afro-Cuban melodies expresses the universality of music, and her ability to embrace and showcase the rhythms and culture of Cuba has been ground-breaking. She has toured the world bringing her own special sound to numerous jazz festivals, displaying her versatility as a flutist, saxophone player, and pianist.
With Maqueque, Bunnett has created something new and phenomenal in the world of jazz. What started out five years ago as a project to record and mentor young brilliant Cuban female musicians, has become one of the top groups on the North American jazz scene. Since 2015, they have played in major jazz festivals like Newport and Monterey, been featured on NPR’s program Jazz Night in America, won a Juno Award for their first album, Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, were nominated for a Grammy Award for their second release, Oddara and were nominated for a Juno Award for their latest release, On Firm Ground/Tierra Firme. Most recently, were voted as one the top ten jazz groups by the prestigious DownBeat magazine’s critics poll.”
(http://www.janebunnett.com/bio/)
🎫 Tickets now available!
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Chaucer’s Pub
7:30PM SHOW
Genticorum
Sunfest, in cooperation with Cuckoo's Nest Folk Club, presents Genticorum.
A renowned Quebec folk trio blending contemporary North American and European folk music with traditional Québécois tunes. Comprised of Yann Falquet, Pascal Gemme, and Nicholas Williams, the group’s energetic sound features fiddles, guitar, wooden flute, and percussion through rhythmic foot tapping. Their dynamic performances have earned them Canadian Folk Music Awards, JUNO nominations, and international acclaim. Genticorum’s latest album, Au coeur de l'aube (2023), follows over 1,000 concerts across 15 countries, with a growing fan base in New England and California.
🎫 Tickets now available!
Sunfest
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2024-2025
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CONCERT SERIES
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Sunfest * 2024-2025 * CONCERT SERIES *
PREVIOUS SHOWS
December 20, 2024
Wolf performance hall
8:00PM SHOW | 7:00PM DOOR
The Next Generation Leahy
✨The Sunfest Concert Series presented a special holiday performance by The Next Generation Leahy!
These astounding young musicians will definitely light-up your heart. The Next Generation Leahy is a family of accomplished multi-instrumental musicians, entertaining audiences with dynamic stage performances, breath-taking vocals, fiddle, Cello, accordion, piano and even some lively French-Canadian step-dancing!
Having shared the stage with some of the greats, including: The Chieftains and Natalie McMaster, The Next Generation Leahy brings you a joyous and remarkable local experience, at the beautiful Wolf Performance Hall on Friday, December 20th.
Jeremy Ledbetter Trio
✨ This star-studded trio performed at the Wolf Performance Hall on Thursday, November 28th, 2024, at The Wolf Performance Hall.
There’s no better way to experience the vibrance and character of the Canadian jazz scene, than through the astounding music performances of the Jeremy Lebetter Trio. Passion and story-telling emanate from these musicians and are beautifully expressed through the group’s mastery of their craft. Stacked with talent, Jeremy Ledbetter joins with renowned drummer Larnell Lewis and Richard Brown on bass, to create a formidable trio of jazz!.
“Forged in a cauldron of raging, inspiring contemporary jazz, the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio pushes the boundaries of jazz and world music, providing an undiluted display of rampaging energy and captivating musicianship. Audiences must exercise caution. People who see this band are rarely the same again. If the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio were an inanimate object it would be a runaway train” ~ jeremyledbetter.com
Catrin Finch & Aoife NI Bhriain
✨The duo played at The Wolf Performance Hall on November 8, 2024.
Captivating fusion of Irish and Welsh musical traditions with two of the most celebrated artists in the Celtic music scene! Dublin’s own Aoife Ní Bhriain, a masterful traditional fiddle player and internationally acclaimed classical violinist, joins forces with the incredible Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, known for her trailblazing collaborations and classical prowess.
A mesmerizing journey across the Irish Sea, where the magic of their homeland traditions meets contemporary innovation.
Breabach
This lively and mezmerizing group, played at the Metropolitan United Church in London, ON, on Sat Oct 19th, 2024
One of Scotland’s most skilled and imaginative contemporary folk acts, Breabach. This award-winning Scottish folk band will swept the crowd off their feet with their dynamic tunes and vibrant energy as they united the Highland and Island tradition, with the innovative Scottish music scene.
Lara Wong & Melon Jimenez Trio
This talented ensemble, performed on September 28, 2024, at London Brewing Cooperative.
Don’t miss Award-winning flutist and bansuri player, Lara Wong and flamenco guitarist, Melón Jiménez, who make flamenco their universal musical language to traverse musical territories. Their music ebbs and flows with elegance and emotive power, as they fuse the soul of flamenco with the inventive spirit of jazz and the rhythmic improvisations of Indian music.
Presented in Partnership with London Brewing Co-Operative.
Talisk
The Scottish sensations played September 19th, 2024, at the London Music Hall.
With over 15 million streams and sold-out shows across five continents, Talisk have amassed a global following while redefining the folk genre. Mohsen Amini (concertina), Benedict Morris (violin), and Charlie Galloway (guitar) push musical boundaries while testing a trio’s live production capabilities. There’s captivating a crowd, then there’s Talisk.
Having won multiple BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, Talisk are celebrated for their electrifying performances and innovative arrangements. Their dynamic stage presence and masterful musicianship have earned them spots at major festivals worldwide, making every show a must-see event.
KILA
Kíla, hailed as one of Ireland’s most innovative bands, lit up Rum Runners on September 12th, 2024.
With a sound that blends Irish folk with global influences, Kíla’s eight members push musical boundaries, creating an electrifying fusion of traditional instruments and modern rhythms.
With a career spanning over three decades, Kíla has released numerous critically acclaimed albums and performed at prestigious festivals worldwide, including Glastonbury and WOMAD. Their music has been featured in films and TV series, and collaborated with iconic Irish artists, U2 and Sinéad O’Connor. Known for their high-energy performances and unique soundscapes, Kíla always promises an unforgettable live experience!
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