Helicon: Winter Solstice

Saturday, December 13, 2025

7:30 p.m.

Thrilling winter showcase of old-time and American roots music

Ken Kolodner | Robin Bullock | Chris Norman
Ken & Brad Kolodner Quartet | Charm City Junction | Elke Baker

The rhythms and tunes of the Irish musical canon have sojourned all over the world, but most especially to the mountains and hills of the American South and Midwest. These cultural standard bearers continue to carry such traditions into the modern day, and we are thrilled to welcome back the Baltimore-based supergroup Helicon and its cadre of guests for a warm salute to this cherished heritage. Band leader Ken Kolodner brings his incredible team to the Dumbarton stage for their annual program of bluegrass and folk music for the winter season. From rollicking dances to heartwarming ballads, join us to celebrate the coming of a new year.

$48 live in-person | $14 livestream

About the Artists

Ranked among the “100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists” by DigitalDreamDoor.com, Robin Bullock has been hailed as “one of the best folk instrumentalists in the business” by Sing Out! magazine, “breathtaking” by Guitar Player magazine and a “Celtic guitar god” by Baltimore City Paper. His honors include Editor’s Pick and Player’s Choice Awards from Acoustic Guitar magazine, multiple Washington Area Music Association WAMMIE Awards, and a Governor’s Award from the Maryland State Arts Council. Now a resident of Black Mountain, North Carolina, Robin hosts the monthly Carolina Celtic concert series at White Horse Black Mountain and teaches guitar and mandolin from his home studio via Zoom and Skype. This year, Robin celebrates three decades as a solo recording artist with the compilation CD Wolf Tracks: A Retrospective 1993-2022.

Chris Norman’s influential work as a flute maker, performer, composer, recording artist, and visionary community builder has earned him worldwide recognition. His flute playing has appeared on more than 40 recordings and can be heard featured on numerous Hollywood soundtracks. For nearly 30 years, Chris has run the preeminent music festival focused on the flute, held in Nova Scotia: Boxwood. Chris performs on the small pipes, and penny whistle in addition to the wooden flute.

The dynamic father-son team Ken & Brad Kolodner weave together a captivating soundscape on hammered dulcimer and clawhammer banjo blurring the lines of Old-Time, Bluegrass and American Roots music. Regarded as one of the most influential hammered dulcimer players in North America, Baltimore’s Ken Kolodner has run the prestigious Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Retreats for nearly 20 years, attracting players from around the world. In 2022, Ken Kolodner released a recording of Kolodner’s arrangements for two hammered dulcimers with Mary Lynn Michal: Out from the Shadows.

The senior Kolodner joined forces in 2009 with his son Brad Kolodner, a renowned clawhammer banjo player, community builder, and award-winning folk and bluegrass radio host. Brad Kolodner can be heard every day of the week as host on Folk Alley and Bluegrass Country Radio (WAMU 88.5 HD2 in DC). Brad released his debut solo album Chimney Swifts in the fall of 2021. It is now available on limited-edition vinyl. Brad has become a major force in the Roots music scene as a community builder. The Kolodners run The Baltimore Old Time Jam and The Baltimore Old Time Music Festival. Both Kolodner’s play old-time fiddle as well. The Kolodners perform with Rachel Eddy and Alex Lacquement. In 2019, the quartet won The Neo-Traditional Band competition at The Appalachian String Band Festival.

Rachel Eddy grew up in a musical family steeped in the traditions of Appalachian music and dance. Now based in Washington, D.C., they are known throughout the world as both a dynamic and emotionally powerful performer, and an engaging, thoughtful teacher. Rachel’s soulful singing and multi-instrumental finesse—including fiddle, banjo, guitar, and mandolin—may be heard on numerous solo and collaborative recordings as well as at dances and jam sessions, where Rachel is dedicated to fostering community and sharing a love of music with others. Rachel performs in The Ken & Brad Kolodner Quartet.

Elke Baker is a U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, “and it's easy to hear why,” according to SingOut! Magazine. “Baker's fiddle nearly throws off sparks,” reported The Washington Post. She has performed all over North America, Japan, Ireland, West Africa, and Scotland. In addition to serving as Music Director of the Potomac Valley Scottish Fiddle Club since 1993, Elke has been a faculty member at the Washington Conservatory of Music and Artist-in-Residence at Montgomery College. Elke Baker and Ken Kolodner have performed together for 25+ years and released their second CD On a Cold Winter’s Day in 2021, ably accompanied by Robin Bullock and Alex Lacquement.

Alex Lacquement has crafted a unique style that is dazzling, lyrical, and transcends musical genres. Whether on stage playing jazz, old-time, or bluegrass, his tone is unmistakable, his joy for performing obvious and infectious. In addition to being an energetic, assertive, and groovy ensemble player and imaginative soloist, he is a skilled arranger, composer and producer.

Patrick McAvinue is an American fiddler and private music educator. He is the winner of IBMA's 2017 Fiddle Player of the Year. McAvinue is a native of Hereford, Maryland. He began playing fiddle at age 7 and was trained as a classical violinist. At age 10, Peabody graduate Amy Hopkins taught him fiddle tunes from all over the world. McAvinue formed the band Charm City Junction with Brad Kolodner, Sean McComiskey, and Alex Lacquement in 2014. After touring for many years with Audie Blaylock & Redline and Dailey & Vincent which included dozens of performances on the Grand Ole Opry, Patrick is currently a member of the US Navy Band Country Current.

Sean McComiskey is among the most innovative young performers on the button accordion, with a unique harmonic style that has earned him a spot in the pantheon of Irish accordionists far beyond his native Baltimore. As the son of legendary button accordion player and National Heritage Fellow Billy McComiskey, Sean has been surrounded by Irish Traditional music his entire life and has developed a deep appreciation for the rich tradition of which he is a part.

Jonathon Srour is a four-time tour member of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance, traveling and performing from Galway to Jerusalem. Ranked #5 in the world in 2005 for Irish dance, Jonathon also performed with group Hammerstep, which appeared on America’s Got Talent. He was a cast member in Riverdance, and also performed in Magic of the Dance and Feet of Flames. Jonathon has qualified two times to compete in the All-Ireland Championship of Irish traditional music, having won the Mid-Atlantic Fleadh Cheoil on the Irish flute. During his competitive Irish dancing career, he tied the record in North America by winning the Senior Belt three times.