Pierre Schryer & Adam Dobres | Calvin Vollrath

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PIERRE SCHRYER - Fiddle, Foot Percussion

Pierre Schryer is one of Canada’s leading traditional fiddlers. A recipient of numerous titles and awards including Canadian Open Fiddle Champion, Grand Masters Champion, Violoneux Championnat, and North American Irish Fiddle Champion, Pierre truly captivates an audience with his energy and genuine warmth. His ability knows no bounds, covering styles from Irish, Scottish, Québecois, and Cape Breton to Canadian Old Time, American Swing and more.

As leader of his self- titled group, Pierre Schryer Band built an international reputation as one of Canada’s most well respected traditional music ensembles by touring throughout Canada, the USA, Ireland, Europe and the UK since the mid-90's. Pierre has shared the stage with dozens of internationally renowned colleagues in the traditional music scene and has performed with numerous orchestras across Canada with his acclaimed Symphony Pops show.

Of his six recordings released on his own label New Canadian Records,“Blue Drag” was nominated at the 2004 JUNO Awards for best Roots and Traditional (Group) Album of the Year, “Mélange” at the 2008 Canadian Folk Music Awards for Instrumental Solo Album of the Year, and “2 Worlds United”, a brilliant duo album with top Irish button accordionist Dermot Byrne, was distributed by Claddagh Records. Pierre’s talents extend beyond his musical abilities. An accomplished luthier and artist, he currently performs on one of his own violins and creates the cover art and design for his recordings. Pierre was the Artistic Director of the “Canadian Celtic Celebration,” a festival presented in Thunder Bay, Ontario for 16 years.

ADAM DOBRES - Guitar

Adam Dobres is a highly accomplished guitarist with a natural ability to embody any style of music. He is equally at home with bluegrass, Celtic, jazz, Gypsy, country, folk, old time, rock, blues, and more. His love of the electric and acoustic guitar has taken him around the globe, performing throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. With a taste for experimenting with personal style and a love of touring, Adam has embarked on living his dream. From playing Celtic music with some of Canada’s finest fiddle players including Daniel Lapp and Pierre Schryer, Adam has branched out to pop rock with Grammy Nominee Toni Childs (including an Australian tour were they opened for the legendary Jackson Brown), performed with renowned musicians playing exotic instruments such as the Sitar, Turkish Lira and African Kora, and toured North America with old time string band Outlaw Social.

Adam was part of The Dustin Bentall outfit when they performed at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics and supported Blue Rodeo on their 2010 Canadian tour. In 2011 Adam joined the Ruth Moody Band, and along with this dynamic folk vocalist and her all-star band has toured Europe, Canada and the US, and has released several albums. Well versed in the recording process, Adam was the musical engineer and producer for a meaningful project with Sarah Van Borek in creating the "One Voice" video. In 2016, Adam released his self-titled, first solo album - an eclectic mix of his own compositions revealing his many influences and his absolute grace and superb versatility on the guitar.

“With their new album Mandorla and a series of international tours, Schryer and Dobres are bringing their stunning range of traditional music to all generations of fiddle fans.” - Alex Monaghan, The Living Tradition

CALVIN VOLRATH - Fiddle

Calvin is a musical prodigy. To date, he has composed near 700 tunes, many of which have become standard contest and dance tunes across North America & Europe. His influence in the fiddle world is very evident. He has to his credit, 69 of his own albums, numerous music books of his original compositions and an instructional DVD. Calvin was commissioned to compose 5 fiddle tunes for the Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010 Opening Ceremonies to represent the various styles of fiddling our country has to offer. He also wrote the theme for the international fiddle convention "Fiddles of the World", held in Halifax NS in July 1999. When Calvin writes a tune for an individual, a place or an event, he has an uncanny sense of capturing their personality or expressing its atmosphere.

Calvin is very active in the teaching aspect of fiddle music and is touted by the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society as one of the driving forces behind the revitalization of fiddle music. Calvin has taught at the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Camp in Ottawa since its inception in 1996. In 2007, he started his own camp in northeast Alberta, aptly named “Camp Calvin”. He also teaches at numerous workshops throughout Canada and the United States. In August 2005, Calvin received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from The Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championship, in recognition and appreciation of his outstanding contribution to Old Time Fiddling. For his contribution, support and dedicated years of promoting & playing country music, Calvin was presented with another 'Lifetime Achievement Award' from the Alberta Men of Country Music (AMOCM) in 2007 and the 'Bev Munro Award' in 2009, sponsored by the Association of Canadian Country Music Legends. In 2011, Calvin was inducted into the 'North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame' in New York state.

Calvin is a world-class fiddler and represents Alberta and Canada internationally. Since his participation at the 2000 World Music Expo (WOMEX) in Berlin Germany, Calvin has toured several European countries. He also served as musical director for Hank Smith’s band on his European tour from 1994-1996. In July 2006, Calvin was selected as one of 10 performers to represent Alberta at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC.

Calvin is a pleasure to watch on stage, his love for music is contagious and he can bring an audience to their feet. As one lady said after a Calvin Vollrath performance, “If I don’t go to heaven when I die, I’ve been there tonight” and another remarked “If you can’t dance to that, you better check your pulse”.

DANIEL LAPP - piano

He's been coast to coast to coast in Canada, as well as Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Finland and Germany. He has performed with symphony orchestras and at global events like the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, EXPO 2000 in Germany and the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games opening ceremonies. He’s played on over 100 albums, working and touring with artists including Spirit of the West, Rickie Lee Jones, Barney Bentall, Mae Moore, Beth Orton and Kathryn Tickell.

Inspired by his grandfather, in 1990 Daniel began offering fiddle lessons in Victoria and less than five years later he and the BC Fiddle Orchestra – a dozen young fiddlers from around British Columbia and their backup band – were onstage in front of 60,000 people at the Commonwealth Games.

Daniel is the founder and president of the Victoria Fiddle Society and founder of the House of Music in Victoria BC. The Daniel Lapp’s House of Music Society was a longtime dream and is home to 20 different violin and fiddle teachers.

The energy to create such a rich, meaningful musical life can only come from a passionate love of music and being witness to the kind of profound changes it can make in people’s lives, young and old. It’s clear in all of Daniel’s work, but never clearer than when you hear him play.

Environmental Initiative: Like many organizations, the Rogue is concerned about the environment. We are doing our best to separate and recycle wherever we can. We use compostable cups at all shows, and charge 25 cents for all cups (beer, wine and coffee). We encourage people to reuse their cups if they return to the bar for another beverage. We also invite you to bring your own cup or glass. Beer drinkers can choose to consume right out of the can. These may seem like small things, but they are an important contribution to cleaning up our planet.

The Rogue Folk Club is pleased to provide great Sponsorship Opportunities for all our shows. For a nominal cost, individuals or businesses can sponsor any of our shows and reap a number of benefits - free tickets, reserved table, recognition on literature, our web site and at the concerts. Find out more here, or simply contact our Sponsorship Director Morris Biddle at mobiddley@me.com