Talisk. (Courtesy photo)
One of Scotland’s most popular folk-based groups to emerge in the last decade, chart-toppers Talisk have toured the world stacking up major awards for their explosively energetic yet artfully woven sound, including Folk Band of the Year at the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award, and the Belhaven Bursary award for Innovation. The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor will open its 2022 season on Thursday, March 3, with this Scots powerhouse.
The band members Mohsen Amini, Benedict Morris and Graeme Armstrong fuse concertina, fiddle and guitar to produce a ground-breaking, multi-layered and instantly enthralling signature sound that has captivated audiences around the globe. Appearances at leading festivals – including closing out Saturday night’s main stage at the 2019 Cambridge Folk Festival, Denmark’s Tønder Festival, the Rainforest World Music Festival in Malaysian Borneo, WOMADs UK, Chile and Las Palmas, Edmonton Folk Festival, Milwaukee Irish Festival, three back-to-back years at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and five successive outings at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections – have amassed a die-hard following, whilst folk and world music media have also lauded high praise upon the genre-bending trio.
Band leader Mohsen has performed around the world and appeared regularly on a variety of BBC shows. In the U.K., Mohsen has been named in the Daily Record Young Scot of the Year, named in The List’s Hot 100, became the first ever musician to be nominated as Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2016 MG Alba Trad Awards, Musician of the Year at the 2017 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and win the 2016 Young Traditional Musician of the Year and to boot, he’s now joined ranks with some of the biggest names today being the youngest ever person to be crowned Musician of the Year at the 2018 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Talisk’s appearance at the opera house marks the only Maine appearance this year by this fast-rising, internationally acclaimed group from Scotland. Advance discounted tickets are $25 and available now directly from the box office at 86 Townsend Ave. or by calling 633-5159.
Regular tickets are $30 and available online at boothbayoperahouse.com, or on the day of the performance at the door. All seating is general admission, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. The concert begins at 7 p.m.
Current COVID-19 policy requires that all audience members provide proof of vaccination at the door, or a negative test taken within 24 hours of the concert start. Masks are recommended, but not required.
