For the seventh year in a row, Christian Howes’s Creative Strings Festival promises to inundate Columbus with the sound of strings! Violins, cellos, violas, and basses will be heard singing and wailing through bluegrass, jazz, Celtic, Latin, blues, avante garde and more at markets, theatres, restaurants, cafes, and clubs throughout Columbus.
More than 50 string players from around the world will be led in small ensembles in 27 performances by these world class performing artists: Jeremy Kittel, Alex Hargreaves, Mike Block , Marcelo Vieira, Paul Brown, Christian Howes, Stephanie Nilles, Mike Barnett, Billy Contreras , Nathaniel Smith, and Robert Anderson.
The concert schedule begins the evening of the first day of the workshop, continues with free weekday lunchtime performances, and finishes the evening of July 3rd. Here is a complete listing of the concerts:
- Performances at Dick’s Den at 10 pm, June 28th to July 1st, and July 3rd. Dick’s Den is at 2417 North High Street with $4 cover charge, except on Tuesday (Bluegrass Night for free), June 29th. Featuring the following artist performances:
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- Mon, June 28, Rob Anderson and Mike Block
- Tue, June 29, Alex Hargreaves, Mike Barnett, and Billy Contreras
- Wed, June 30, Paul Brown, Billy Contreras, Jeremy Kittel, and Christian Howes
- Thu, July 1, Jeremy Kittel
- Fri, July 2, Marcelo Vieira and Mike Block
- Sat, July 3, Christian Howes and Friends
- Lunch time performances at the North Market, 59 Spruce St., Columbus, OH from 12:30 to 2:00pm, June 29th to July 2nd.
- Performances at Battelle Hall at Otterbein College starting at 4:45 in the afternoon, June 28th to July 2nd
Plus the following special performances:
Monday, June 28th 10 pm to 2pm
Rumba Café with Jason Quicksall, Jesse Henry and songwriters in the round ($5).
Tuesday, June 29th 8:30 pm to 11:00 pm
Jazz Jam with Erik Augis and Pete Mills at Park Street Tavern, 501 Park St. Columbus, OH
Wednesday, June 30th
Espresso Yourself Music Café, 50 W Olentangy St. Powell, OH ($4) 6-8pm
McConnel Arts Center, Worthington, OH at 7pm
Thursday, July 1st
Espresso Yourself Music Café, 50 W Olentangy St. Powell, OH ($4) 7-9pm
Gateway Film Center’s Black Box at 1550 N. High St. at 8pm
Friday, July 2nd
Stephanie Nilles at Red White and Boom, Frog Bear Patio in Arena District, 5:15-7:45pm
Espresso Yourself Music Café, 50 W Olentangy St. Powell, OH ($4) 6-8pm
McConnel Arts Center, Worthington (7pm), featuring Fiddler’s Restrung
Saturday, July 3rd
Bluegrass Jam at the Bluegrass Musician’s Supply Store, 11am-3pm
Youth Concert, McConnell Arts Center, Worthington, 2pm
Lobby, 2390 S. Hamilton Rd., 6-9pm
The week-long workshop and festival is a combination education and live performance event, providing string players of all ages the opportunity to learn from industry pros and to perform in front of real audiences in creative musical contexts. The event’s educational component is split into adult and youth workshops. Emerging and mid-level career performers attend the adult workshop, while middle school and high school string players attend the youth workshop.
