Music on the Square: Metku Quartet with Richard Koski

Join us on Centerway Square on August 22 from 6-8pm for Music in the Square for inspired traditional Finnish music performed by the Metku Quartet & Richard Koski. This summer The ARTS Council has partnered with the Gaffer District to curate their long-running Music in the Square concert series.

Michael Ludgate (mandolin, kantele, banjo) and Katrina Mackey (fiddle, flute) have both been inspired by their Finnish ancestral heritage to learn more about traditional music and dance of Finland. The result is the band Metku. Katrina and Mike play as a duo but often are fortunate to have Philip Robinson (guitar) join for a trio. In addition to the traditional Finnish repertoire, they play traditional music for contra dances, square dances, private parties and weddings.

Metku is joined by Richard Koski, a master accordionist from Trumansburg, NY. He has been playing Finnish-American folk music since 1970. Richard has always lived in the Finnish-American community near Ithaca, NY, and since the 1940’s has been exposed to the music in that community.

In 2018, Richard taught Michael and Katrina how to play Finnish-American dance tunes that have been performed at social gatherings in the Finger Lakes since the 1910s. Richard learned this music from his father, and although there is an active cultural group called the Finger Lake Finns, few musicians still play the old music. In addition to learning over twenty tunes, Katrina and Michael transcribed all the them, creating a written record for future generations.

For more information about Metku see: http://canaaninstitute.org/metkumusic/

The Finnish Dance Music Apprenticeship is made possible by the Folk Arts Apprenticeship program at the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.