LEO KOTTKE

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Acoustic guitar legend Leo Kottke has been similarly bending notes and bending his guitar’s capacity for syncopated, polyphonic melodies over a prolific career that spans more than four decades.  Beginning with his debut LP, “Twelve String Blues,” recorded live at a Minneapolis coffee house, Kottke...

SIMPLY THREE

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

This electrifying string trio has been dazzling audiences with their high-octane performances that genre-hop through artists like Adele, Gershwin, Coldplay, Twenty One Pilots, Ed Sheeran, and more! Combining old school training and new school sonics, they mix original works with innovative arrangements and have been...

ELLIS MARSALIS TRIO

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Recipient of the NEA’s prestigious Jazz Masters Award and honorary doctorates from Dillard University and Ball State University, Ellis Marsalis is regarded by many as the premier modern jazz pianist in New Orleans. Ellis is also recognized as one of the most renowned music educators...

THE DUSTBOWL REVIVAL

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

The Dustbowl Revival has become known and loved for their free-flowing, joyous shows, which combine New Orleans funk, bluegrass, soul, pre-war blues, and roots. With a fresh new album released in June of 2017, this eight member band is ready to hit the road and...

PHOEBE HUNT & THE GATHERERS

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

An accomplished Americana instrumentalist with foundations in jazz and swing, Rolling Stones Country named Phoebe Hunt as one of their top 10 “new country artists you need to know.” Her new album, “Shanti’s Shadow,” is a culmination of her five year journey through Music Row,...

DE TEMPS ANTAN

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Since 2003, this trio has been exploring and performing time-honored melodies in the stomping grounds of Québec’s musical past. Playing fiddle, accordion, harmonica, guitar, bouzouki and a number of other instruments, these three virtuosos blend boundless energy with the unmistakable “joie de vivre” found only...

THE TRAVELIN’ MCCOURYS

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

The Travelin’ McCourys do not stand still. No other band today has the same credentials for playing traditional and progressive music. As the sons of bluegrass legend Del McCoury, Ronnie McCoury on mandolin and Rob McCoury on banjo continue their father’s work—a lifelong dedication to...

AHN TRIO

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Hailed as “exacting and exciting musicians” by the LA Times, the three sisters of the Ahn Trio (Lucia on the piano, Angella on the violin, and Maria on the cello) have earned a distinguished reputation for embracing 21st century classical music with their unique style...

A. J. CROCE

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

A.J. Croce has been inextricably linked to a version of his own story by his name. He’s experienced a lifetime of comparisons to a father he lost at age two, whose music bears little resemblance to his own output yet still serves as a reference...

ELVIN BISHOP & CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Elvin Bishop is on a roll! Besides being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, he also won a Blues Music Award for Album of The Year and Band of The Year, and his classic rock song Fooled Around & Fell...

SMUIN BALLET

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Smuin pushes the boundaries of contemporary ballet within a distinctly American style, combining classical ballet training, technique, and artistry with uncommon physicality and expression. Smuin offers audiences an experience of ballet that is entertaining, evocative, and original. Debuting in San Francisco in 1994, Smuin immediately...

JUDY COLLINS

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

The award-winning singer-songwriter is esteemed for her imaginative interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk standards and her own poetically poignant original compositions. Her stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” from her landmark 1967 album, Wildflowers, has been entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame....

KAHULANUI

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

There is a new wave coming from Hawaii, a blend of traditional music and the Big Band Swing brought to the Aloha State by U.S. servicemen during World War II. Its leading exponent is Kahulanui, a nine-piece band: four horns plus guitar, bass, ukulele, drums...

RITA COOLIDGE

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

After ten years during which she bore witness to some of her life’s greatest joys and deepest sorrows, Rita Coolidge is back with Safe in the Arms of Time, her 18th solo album and a reaffirmation of her indomitable spirit and unquenchable creative thirst. Safe in...

THE HOT SARDINES

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Fueled by the belief that classic jazz feeds the heart and soul, The Hot Sardines are on a mission to make old sounds new again and prove that joyful music can bring people together in a disconnected world. In the talented hands of the New...

TIM FAIN & SIMONE DINNERSTEIN

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Virtuoso musicians, violinist Tim Fain and pianist Simone Dinnerstein thrilled concertgoers at Bitterroot Performing Arts Council just a couple of seasons ago. Now the talented pair returns, in an electrifying program called Patterns in Time, which explores the many ways that composers use nonlinear time.  With...

STEEP CANYON RANGERS

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

With Out in the Open, Steep Canyon Rangers affirm their place as one of the most versatile bands in contemporary American music. The Grammy Award-winning sextet has spent nearly two decades bending and shaping the bluegrass aesthetic, wedding it to elements of pop, country, and folk...

TIME FOR THREE

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

View artist website Bonded by an uncommon blend of instruments and vocals, Charles Yang (violin), Nick Kendall (violin), and Ranaan Meyer (double bass), have found a unique voice of expression. To experience Time For Three live is to hear the various eras, styles, and traditions...

JON CLEARY and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

View artist website Jon Cleary’s love and affinity for New Orleans music goes back to the rural British village of Cranbrook, Kent, where he was raised in a musical family. In 1981 Cleary flew to New Orleans and took a cab straight from the airport...

OTTMAR LIEBERT & LUNA NEGRA

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

View artist website Ottmar Liebert has said that “flamenco is a music both romantic and dangerous; it is an attitude as much as it is a musical genre.” The guitarist is renowned for harnessing the emotional fire and mournful tonalities of traditional flamenco music, updating...

MICK MOLONEY AND THE GREEN FIELDS OF AMERICA

Mary Stuart Rogers Performing Arts Center, Victor School 425 4th Avenue, Victor, MT

View artist website The Green Fields of America was formed in 1978 by Mick Moloney to present and tour some of Irish America’s finest musicians and dancers. The Green Fields of America was the first group on either side of the Atlantic to bring together Irish vocal,...

ORQUESTA AKOKÁN

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

View artist website Straight out of Havana, Cuba comes a blazing ensemble of deeply soulful mambo reminiscent of Benny Moré, Pérez Prado, and banda gigante of the 1940’s and 50’s.  The album boasts all original songs recorded at the historic state-run Estudios Areito with Cuba’s finest players, young...

AOIFE O’DONOVAN

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

View artist website Aoife O’Donovan is an Irish-American singer and Grammy award-winning songwriter and musician. She is one of the most sought-after singers and songwriters of her generation. She is best known as the lead singer and co-founder for the band Crooked Still and has...

Event Series Special Performance (non-season)

“MARK O’CONNOR DUO” WITH MAGGIE O’CONNOR

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

View artist website “Mark O’Connor Duo” with Maggie O’Connor: American Classics identifies the cornerstones of repertoire, style and wonderful diversity of A New American School of String Playing. Mining a huge body of repertoire that has made its impact on American music, the selected tunes and...

Event Series Special Performance (non-season)

IONA FYFE

Mary Stuart Rogers Performing Arts Center, Victor School 425 4th Avenue, Victor, MT

Aberdeenshire folksinger, Iona Fyfe, has become one of Scotland’s finest singers, rooted deeply in the singing traditions of the North East of Scotland. In 2021, she became the first singer to win the coveted title of Musician of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots...

Event Series 2022-2023 Season

Steve March-Tormé

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Steve March-Tormé has an extraordinary talent for moving audiences with his stirring vocals and dazzling them with his technical facility. Drawing from a background steeped in the entertainment industry, Steve performs some of the most enduring, well-crafted songs ever written, beautifully arranged to appeal to...

Event Series 2022-2023 Season

Quarteto Nuevo

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Quarteto Nuevo merges Western classical, Eastern European folk, Latin and jazz with an organic feel that packs a wallop! The ensemble’s razor-sharp precision is enhanced by jazzy interludes, lightly rumbling percussion motifs and mesmerizing rhythms. They effectively meld the music of ancient worlds and faraway...

Event Series Special Performance (non-season)

Philip Aaberg

Mary Stuart Rogers Performing Arts Center, Victor School 425 4th Avenue, Victor, MT

Grammy and Emmy nominated composer Philip Aaberg of Chester, Montana, is known worldwide for his compositions that evoke the spaciousness and beauty of the Western landscape. His musical career is as diverse and expansive as the Montana landscape he calls home. Aaberg first appeared on...

Event Series Special Performance (non-season)

Philip Aaberg

Mary Stuart Rogers Performing Arts Center, Victor School 425 4th Avenue, Victor, MT

Grammy and Emmy nominated composer Philip Aaberg of Chester, Montana, is known worldwide for his compositions that evoke the spaciousness and beauty of the Western landscape. His musical career is as diverse and expansive as the Montana landscape he calls home. Aaberg first appeared on...

Event Series 2022-2023 Season

Naturally 7

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

“A capella group” so vastly underplays what Naturally 7 creates onstage that they had to coin a phrase – “Vocal Play” – to more accurately depict what they do. Naturally 7 is more than a tightly orchestrated collection of great singers. They transform their voices...

Event Series 2022-2023 Season

The Suffers

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Founded in 2011, The Suffers built a devoted local following in Houston before breaking out internationally with their 2015 debut EP, Make Some Room, which helped land them performances everywhere from Letterman to NPR’s Tiny Desk. The band followed it up in 2016 with a...

Event Series 2022-2023 Season

Lúnasa

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, Lúnasa was formed in 1997 from members of some of the greatest Irish groups of the previous decade. An early review from Folk Roots magazine described the band as an “Irish...

Spring For the Arts Gala

Bitterroot River Inn & Conference Center 139 Bitterroot Plaza Dr., Hamilton, MT

Please join us in celebrating our 9th Annual Gala! This wonderful evening in support of your local arts includes: Come celebrate with us as we gear up for our 20th year. Dinner - Wine Pull - Silent, Live & Student Art Auction Live Entertainment - And our...

Event Series 2022-2023 Season

SARA GAZAREK

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

Graced with an “impeccable” voice (Winnipeg Free Press), Sara Gazarek has been one of the leading lights of an impressive generation of jazz vocalists since her brilliant emergence at age 20. Gazarek’s experience began in the overcast light of Seattle, where she was originally drawn...

Event Series 2023-2024 Season

Don McLean

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

While “American Pie” is probably the first Don McLean song that pops to mind for many, it's worth remembering that this legendary American singer, songwriter, and composer has written and sung a long list of musical successes in his decades-long career. His extensive discography include hits such as "Vincent (Starry Starry Night)," "Castles in the Air," "And I Love You So," and "Cryin’.'' In 2018, McLean released his 19th studio album, Botanical Gardens, to rave reviews.

Event Series 2023-2024 Season

Suzy Bogguss

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

During the creative explosion that was country music in the 1990s, Suzy Bogguss sold 4 million records with sparkling radio hits like “Outbound Plane,” “Someday Soon,” “Letting Go,” “Drive South,” and “Hey Cinderella." But you can’t peg Suzy that easily.

In the midst of her country popularity, she took time off to make an album of duets with the legendary Chet Atkins. In 2003 she made an album of modern swing music with Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel. An album of original music in 2007 landed Suzy at number 4 on the jazz charts. Her folk music roots showed through in her frequent appearances on public radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, in the Grammy she earned for her work on Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster, and in her critically acclaimed album and book project from 2011, American Folk Songbook. In 2014, she released Lucky, a collection of songs written by Merle Haggard and interpreted through Suzy’s crystal vocals from the female point of view. Her latest offering, Aces Redux, is a re-recording of her platinum selling album Aces, produced by Suzy with fresh arrangements and her signature sparkling vocals. She continues to tour the world, on her own and with fellow country radio divas Terri Clark and Pam Tills as “Chicks With Hits.”

So yes, you can call her a country singer if you want, but really that’s just the beginning.

Event Series 2023-2024 Season

Victor Wooten & The Wooten Brothers Sweat Tour

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

For over four decades, the Wooten Brothers have been recognized as some of the most innovative musicians in existence and are collectively known as one of the most talented and dynamic band of brothers the world has ever known. Since they were young, the brothers have been a musical tour-de-force redefining...

Event Series 2023-2024 Season

The Queen’s Cartoonists

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

The Queen’s Cartoonists perform music from cartoons! Pulling from over 100 years of animation from around the world, The Queen’s Cartoonists bring animated films to life, perfectly synchronizing their performances with the films projected on stage. The band matches the energy of the cartoons, leading the audience...

Reverie Road

Mary Stuart Rogers Performing Arts Center, Victor School 425 4th Avenue, Victor, MT

A fresh, eclectic celtic combination, featuring fiddler Winifred Horan and accordionist John Williams (founding Solas members) alongside former Gaelic Storm fiddler Katie Grennan and Jazz and Raga pianist Utsav Lal (Young Steinway Artist). This powerful combination is made up of four of today's leading traditional and...

Event Series 2023-2024 Season

James Sewell Ballet

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

James Sewell Ballet was founded in New York City by James Sewell and Sally Rousse and brought to Minnesota in 1993. Combining their expertise, vision and chutzpah they envisioned a close-knit company of dance artists willing to both challenge their physical limits and expand their notions about ballet. Over three...

Spring for the Arts Gala

Bitterroot River Inn & Conference Center 139 Bitterroot Plaza Dr., Hamilton, MT

Please join us to celebrate our 20th season with dinner and multiple auctions at the Bitterroot River Inn & Conference Center.

Event Series 2023-2024 Season

Sona Jobarteh

Hamilton Performing Arts Center 327 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, MT

The spirit of Sona Jobarteh’s musical work stands on the mighty shoulders of the West African griot musician and storyteller traditions; she is a living archive of the Gambian people. With one ear on the family’s historic reputation, one on the all-important future legacy and her heart in both places, she is preparing a place...

Bill Harley

Ravalli County Fairgrounds 100 Old Corvallis Rd, Hamilton, MT

Bill Harley is well-traveled, well-read, well-educated, well-spoken and well-loved. Accompanied by his guitar, his narrative songs and stories, both original and traditional, are a celebration of our common humanity. Best known for his work with children and families, his ability to  navigate through a confusing world with...

Naturally 7

Daly Mansion 251 Eastside Hwy, Hamilton, MT

“A capella group” so vastly underplays what Naturally 7 creates onstage that they had to coin a phrase – “Vocal Play” – to more accurately depict what they do. Naturally 7 is more than a tightly orchestrated collection of great singers. They transform their voices into actual human instruments, effortlessly producing music...

The Lil Smokies

Ravalli County Fairgrounds 100 Old Corvallis Rd, Hamilton, MT

Drawing on the energy of a rock band and the Laurel Canyon songwriting of the ‘70s, The Lil Smokies have reimagined their approach to roots music on their third studio album Tornillo, named for the remote Texas town where the album was recorded. Formed in Missoula, Montana, The Lil Smokies have built a national...