Robin Bullock Concert
March 16, 2025
Buzz Ware Village Center, 2119 The Highway, Wilmington DE
Concert - 7:30PM, $35; Workshop - 3:30-5:30, $75
Jam and Potluck Dinner Following Workshop
Combo to both workshop and concert - $100
Tickets - online at https://tinyurl.com/RobinBullockWorkshopAndConcert or at the door.
Progressive Acoustics is delighted to host extraordinary guitarist (and certified “Celtic Guitar God”) Robin Bullock for an evening concert and afternoon teaching workshop on Sunday March 16, 2025. The location will be in Arden DE in the Buzz Ware Village Center, 2119 The Highway, Wilmington DE 19810.
His virtuosity on guitar, cittern and mandolin blends the ancient melodies of the Celtic lands, their vigorous American descendants, and the masterworks of the Baroque and Renaissance eras into one powerful musical vision. The 17th-century harp tunes of legendary Irish bard Turlough O’Carolan, the spirited jigs and reels of rural Ireland, the haunting ballads of the southern Appalachians and the timeless compositions of Bach, Dowland and Francesco da Milano all find a musical common ground in Robin’s music, where lightning-fast fingerwork one moment is perfectly balanced with tender, quiet intimacy the next. A warm, friendly presence onstage, Robin effortlessly creates a magical world for the audience with his multi-instrumental wizardry, taking them on an unforgettable journey into the deep heart’s core and through the music of the spheres.
On Sunday afternoon Robin will conduct an afternoon guitar workshop from 3:30 – 5:30. Robin offers immersive workshops that delve into various styles, including Celtic, folk, and bluegrass. His teaching approach emphasizes learning by ear, fostering a deep connection to traditional music. Robin encourages the use of recording devices during sessions to aid in developing listening skills over time. He has been a faculty member at renowned music camps such as the Swannanoa Gathering, Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Kamps, and Common Ground On The Hill.
The workshop will be followed by a period of jamming and a pot luck dinner. If you are interested in staying for dinner, please bring a dish to share. Bring your instrument to play bluegrass, old time and Celtic styles or just hangout to listen. The evening concert will begin at 7:30.
The price for the guitar workshop is $75, and the evening concert is $35. (For those attending both the workshop and the concert there is a “combination discount” of $100.)
Please note that as always, 100% of these proceeds will be immediately and entirely turned directly over to the artist….
This is, of course, a unique opportunity to experience and to learn from one of the world’s most extraordinary guitarists in a small and comfortable setting. The location is in Arden DE which is convenient to Philadelphia, Wilmington, Southern NJ, etc. Seating will be limited and will likely sell out very quickly – please contact The Community Foundation (https://tcfhelps.org ) for tickets.
For additional info please contact Steve Broitman (sbroitman2@ gmail.com ) or Ted Klein (theomklein@gmail.com ) or visit Progressive Acoustics www.progressiveacoustics.org.
To hear Robin: https://robinbullock.com/videos/
"Celtic guitar god." - Baltimore City Paper
"Breathtaking...brilliant technique, always in service of the music." - Guitar Player
"A musician whose technical skill and stylistic expertise are second to none...a time-served folkie of the highest calibre." - Classical Guitar (U.K.)
Hailed as a “Celtic guitar god” by Baltimore City Paper and “one of the best folk instrumentalists in the business” by Sing Out! Magazine, Robin Bullock is one of the preeminent acoustic music masters of our time.
His virtuosity on guitar, cittern and mandolin blends the ancient melodies of the Celtic lands, their vigorous American descendants, and the masterworks of the Baroque and Renaissance eras into one powerful musical vision. The 17th-century harp tunes of legendary Irish bard Turlough O’Carolan, the spirited jigs and reels of rural Ireland, the haunting ballads of the southern Appalachians and the timeless compositions of Bach, Dowland and Francesco da Milano all find a musical common ground in Robin’s music, where lightning-fast fingerwork one moment is perfectly balanced with tender, quiet intimacy the next. A warm, friendly presence onstage, Robin effortlessly creates a magical world for the audience with his multi-instrumental wizardry, taking them on an unforgettable journey into the deep heart’s core and through the music of the spheres.
Originally rising to prominence as a founding member of the innovative acoustic world-music trio Helicon (winners of the Association for Independent Music’s prestigious INDIE Award for Best Seasonal Recording), Robin’s solo career has won him a ranking among DigitalDreamDoor.com’s “100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists,” a Player’s Choice Award from Acoustic Guitar Magazine in the Celtic guitar category, three Washington Area Music Association WAMMIE Awards (Traditional Folk Instrumentalist 1997 and 1999; Traditional Folk Recording of the Year 1998), a Governor’s Award from the Maryland State Arts Council and a feature broadcast on National Public Radio’s hugely popular Celtic music program “The Thistle and Shamrock.”
His fifteen solo and collaborative recordings range from loving yet innovative interpretations of Celtic tradition, to the beloved carols and hymns of the Christmas season, to deep explorations of J.S. Bach’s incomparable masterpieces, and his many years as a leading exponent of Turlough O’Carolan’s Irish harp melodies on acoustic guitar culminated in 2015’s The Carolan Collection, a compilation CD benefiting animal rescue organizations in Robin’s home state of North Carolina. Robin also appears on The Road Home, a tribute to his late friend and collaborator Butch Baldassari, alongside such greats as David Grisman, Ricky Skaggs, Sam Bush, Tim O’Brien and the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble; his arrangements for guitar and mandolin have been featured in several of Mel Bay’s Master Anthologies, and his chamber orchestrations of traditional Celtic tunes have been performed by the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and members of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Writing about Robin in The NPR Curious Listener’s Guide to Celtic Music, Thistle and Shamrock host Fiona Ritchie says “Bullock’s music accents the connections between Celtic and American traditional and acoustic music. That he is able to do so by playing almost any stringed instrument to perfection is his specialty.”
When he’s not on the road Robin lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and in what little spare time he has can often be found hiking the region’s mountain trails or sharing tunes and craic at the many local Irish, bluegrass and old-time sessions.
For more info: http://robinbullock.com/