Acts scheduled to join Holt, an icon of traditional music and storytelling, are international sensation Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, award-winning bluegrass favorites Balsam Range, emerging ballad singer Josh Goforth, and the African-American gospel duo of Wilbur Tharpe and Lena Mae Perry, performing as The Branchettes. 

The afternoon performance will be videotaped as a companion piece to the PBS series of the same name. The show is an exciting opportunity to see modern masters of old-time music share their stories and tunes.

“This is not only the first time all these artists will be on stage together, but it will be the only time they will get together,” said George Brown, dean of WCU’s College of Fine and Performing Arts. “Rhiannon Giddens is completing an international tour to come back for this special event. Balsam Range, homegrown and a favorite everywhere they play, was honored as the 2014 International Bluegrass Music Association entertainers of the year and group of the year. This much talent at one time and in one place is extraordinary.” 

The performance also celebrates 10 years of the Bardo Arts Center at WCU. The $30 million facility opened in 2005 and was named for former WCU Chancellor John Bardo in 2011. Its elegant 1,000-seat performance hall, with fine-tuned acoustics and state-of-the-art lighting system, is a premier venue for concert and theatrical productions, and ideal for this old-time music show. 

Through “David Holt’s State of Music,” TV viewers are introduced to traditional music of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Recipient of four Grammy Awards, Holt has filled the roles of musician, storyteller, historian and TV and radio host over a career that has spanned more than three decades. The PBS series sprang from an hour-long UNC-TV special in January on the music of Southern Appalachia, and has been expanded for a nationwide audience with six 30-minute segments. 

The WCU show is sponsored by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, with support from WCU’s Friends of the Arts and the College of Fine and Performing Arts. Admission is $45 for orchestra seats and $35 for club and balcony seats. 

www.bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or 828.227.2479.