Ostroushko, Magraw reunite in Zumbrota

Peter Ostroushko, a mandolin and fiddle player in acoustic music, and guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer Dean Magraw reunite at Crossings at 7:30 p.m. Saturday March 24.

The two musicians played as a duo for 15 years. Both known for bringing together many musical styles, their concerts will leave audiences astounded and with a new appreciation for the similarities among musical traditions.

Because their musical interests roam so widely, each man has teamed up with other musicians for performances and recordings in every style from punk-folk to jazz, Celtic to country.

Ostroushko’s tours have taken him to clubs, performing arts centers, music festivals and theatess across North America and Europe, and he has earned an international reputation as a versatile and dazzling musician and composer.

He is at his most passionate playing a rich ethnic mix of music, at the heart of which is his Ukrainian heritage. His term for his mixture of musical styles is “sluz duz,” a phrase roughly meaning “over the edge” or “off his rocker.”

He has recorded with artists such as Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Greg Brown, and Taj Mahal. His first recording session was contributing the mandolin parts for Bob Dylan’s epochal Blood on the Tracks.

As a composer, Ostroushko has written works that have been performed by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Sinfonia, the Rochester (Minn.) Symphony Orchestra and more.

Magraw’s 30-year career in music has seen him teamed up with the well-known Irish group Altan, Japanese shamisen player Nigel Kennedy, classical violinist Nigel Kennedy, singers Claudia Schmidt and Ruth MacKenzie, and Boiled in Lead. He leads a jazz trio and quintet, and he has recorded with Celtic, Indian and Hungarian musicians.

Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 day of show. To reserve tickets, stop in to Crossings at Carnegie at 320 East Ave., Zumbrota or call 507-732-7616. For more information, visit www.crossingsatcarnegie.com.

Tags: arts and entertainment, entertainment, lifestyle, zumbrota