Meet the Artists: Showcase A

Showcase A: Monday, November 2, 2026 at 6:30 PM

Showcase # Artist Time*
Welcome NCPC Board Member 6:30-6:35 PM
A1 Kanola Band 6:35-6:50 PM
A2 The Little Mercies
6:55-7:10 PM
A3 The Sistering
7:15-7:30 PM
Virtual 1A Scott Ainslie
7:30-7:35 PM
A4  Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra 7:35-7:50 PM
Virtual 2A  Ayreheart 7:50-7:55 PM
A5 Tabitha Meeks
7:55-8:10 PM
 A6 Admiral Radio 8:15-8:30 PM
Virtual 3A Swing Makes You Sing! (New York Collective)
8:30-8:35 PM
A7 CeCe Teneal’s DIVAS OF SOUL: The Best of Patti, Gladys, Tina & More! 8:35-8:50 PM
A8Dawn Landes8:55-9:10 PM
A9 Mike Super - Magic & Illusion
9:15-9:30 PM
*Times are subject to change.

Kanola Band

Main Stage  |  Showcase Spot A1

Photo of Kanola Band

Photo Credit: Robin Maaya

Kanola Band is more than a band - it's a musical journey through the heart of New Orleans. With deep reverence for the city's unmatched cultural legacy, this high-energy ensemble brings to life the music that has defined the Crescent City for generations. From early jazz and second-line brass to funk, soul, gospel, and rhythm & blues, their repertoire spans over a century of New Orleans music - across genres, across decades.

Kanola Band brings New Orleans to life with stories, context, and insight. At every performance, audiences are invited not just to dance and celebrate - but to listen, learn, and connect.

Whether reimagining the soulful grooves of Fats Domino, channeling the joyful spirit of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, or celebrating the resilience of the Mardi Gras Indian tradition, Kanola Band is dedicated to spreading joy and honoring the deep roots of New Orleans music. Their concerts are equal parts celebration and education, designed to uplift audiences and remind us that music is not just entertainment; it's a universal language that connects us all.

Represented By: Benje Daneman

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The Little Mercies

Main Stage  |  Showcase Spot A2

Photo of The Little Mercies

The Little Mercies are a rising force in Old-Time and folk, blending deep-rooted tradition with fearless originality. Bronwyn Chelette, Shanice Richards, and Rosalee Walsh bring banjo, twin fiddles, and three-part harmonies that feel both timeless and strikingly fresh. In just a few years they've grown from local jam sessions to national stages.

Each member plays multiple instruments and brings a distinct story to the stage. Original songs and string band classics performed with conviction and heart.

They have opened for the Kruger Brothers and Rhiannon Giddens.

Represented By: Alexei Mejouev | Birdhouse Productions

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The Sistering

Main Stage  |  Showcase Spot A3

Photo of The Sistering

Photo Credit: Tanisha Walker In God's Image Photography

The Sistering is a North Carolina collaborative vocal group featuring Nnenna Freelon, Kate McGarry, Lenora Zenzalai Helm, and Lois Deloatch. They blend jazz, folk, and gospel through original music and standards. The showcase will celebrate the distinct elements of the blend through the lens of this unique sisterhood.

Represented By: Ed Keane | Ed Keane Associates

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Scott Ainslie

Virtual  |  Showcase Spot V1A

Photo of Scott Ainslie

Photo Credit: Video stills by Scott Ainslie

Scott Ainslie's new program LOVE, LOSS & SALVATION proves not only that Blues and Gospel are two sides of the same coin, but that the musicians who played in the juke joints on Saturday night often turned up in Church on Sunday morning.

With compelling stories and songs, LOVE, LOSS & SALVATION features Blues, work songs, early spirituals, and gospel music that span the 20th century. From the early Ragtime Blues from North Carolina's Elizabeth Cotten, and spirituals of Willie Malloy, to Robert Johnson's Delta Blues masterpieces and Malcolm X's favorite Billie Holiday song, Scott brings the audience on a musical journey that starts on Saturday night and ends on Sunday morning.

Scott Ainslie has spent forty years collecting the personal stories, songs, and music from his elders–black musicians born between 1900 and 1930–now, all gone. A portion of their history, stories, and music were gifts to him. You will hear them come to life again in Scott's new song cycle LOVE, LOSS & SALVATION.

Represented By: Susan Lounsbury | Loyd Artists

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Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra

Main Stage  |  Showcase Spot A4

Photo of Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra

Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra is a seven-piece Nordicana ensemble from Oslo, Norway, whose rendition of "Wayfaring Stranger" went viral and launched them to international attention. Their YouTube channel has since drawn nearly 70,000 subscribers and 21 million views worldwide. The band's debut album, Migrants, debuted at #4 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart, among the first Norwegian acts ever on Billboard, and earned a Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannprisen) nomination. Lead vocalist Rebekka Nilsson won the IBMA Momentum Award for Vocalist of the Year, with the band twice nominated for Band of the Year.

Drawing inspiration from artists like Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, and Watchhouse, Hayde balances high-energy tunes, razor-sharp vocal harmonies with a modern take on bluegrass. With virtuoso musicianship, they deliver performances that are both exhilarating and deeply expressive, proof that bluegrass continues to evolve in exciting, global ways.

Hayde tours the US extensively, especially in North Carolina, with stops including MerleFest, the IBMA World of Bluegrass Festival in Raleigh, and the Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival. A new studio album arrives in March 2027, with the lead single dropping October 2, 2026. Hayde is an internationally acclaimed act with a proven US audience, ready for your stage.

Represented By: Trish Galfano

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Ayreheart

Virtual  |  Showcase Spot V2A

Photo of Ayreheart

For centuries, the lute was considered the "prince of instruments," and lute players were celebrities in royal courts across Europe. Ayreheart, founded by GRAMMY nominated lutenist Ronn McFarlane, seeks to restore the lute to its former glory - writing new music steeped in ancient traditions as well as reviving sounds of the Renaissance. The four members of Ayreheart are Heather Aubrey Lloyd on vocals, guitar and percussion, McFarlane on lute, Will Morris on colascione (bass lute) and Mattias Rucht on percussion. From tender ballads to rollicking jigs, Ayreheart reinvigorates music that sings across the centuries to touch the hearts and move the feet of listeners today. At the intersection of classical music and the timeless folk music of the Renaissance, Ayreheart brings fresh energy and rhythmic drive to old traditions and original music.

Ayreheart's virtual showcase video features "In A Garden So Green" first published in 1662 by John Forbes in Aberdeen, Scotland. Sung in middle-Scots, this song conveys the doubts and passions of two young lovers.

Represented By: Sean Johnson

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Tabitha Meeks

Main Stage  |  Showcase Spot A5

Photo of Tabitha Meeks

The Queen of Retro Pop has arrived! Best described as "Norah Jones meets Nancy Sinatra", Tabitha Meeks' feel-good throwback music will make you bop your head, tap your toes, and feel empowered all at once.

Her piano solos and live shows are unmatched for fun, vintage energy, and her catchy, light-hearted songs will be stuck in your head for days. Her song "Cherry on Top" aired in the No. 1 Hulu/Disney+ show "The Testaments" (S1 Ep. 3), and her holiday hit song "Ready for Christmas" has amassed 2 billion+ views throughout social media platforms.

She recently performed at the Bonnaroo Festival, Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Arts Festival, Bethlehem Musikfest, Musicians Corner Festival, and on iconic stages such as Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Tabitha was a top-4 finalist at the Music City Mayhem Competition in 2025.

You may have heard her music on Netflix, Hallmark, CBS, Peacock, Paramount+, Amazon Prime, Hutton Hotel, and more. Her song "Girl of the Hour" is featured on Spotify's "Retro Pop" Editorial Playlist. Her debut album, "Can't a Girl Dream!" dropped on February 20, 2026.

Represented By: Larry Kosson | Kosson Talent

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Admiral Radio

Main Stage  |  Showcase Spot A6

Photo of Admiral Radio

Photo Credit: The Valentine Collective

Admiral Radio, the award-winning folk/Americana act from South Carolina, is the creative partnership of Coty Hoover and Becca Smith. Named after their old wooden radio, this husband-and-wife team fronts a vibrant four-piece that blends heartfelt harmonies, storytelling, and raw sincerity. Having met while waiting tables in the Lowcountry, their sound is straightforward yet powerful—rooted in tight vocal interplay and finely picked acoustic instruments.

The group is quickly gaining recognition with several first-place and finalist honors in prestigious songwriting competitions around the country, including Kerrville NewFolk, the MerleFest Band Competition, the Cayamo Soundcheck, and the International Bluegrass Music Association's Official Songwriter Showcase. Recently signed by Too Fine Records, the new Nashville label by Triple 8 Management (Sierra Ferrell, Kaitlin Butts, Madison Cunningham), this national touring act hopes to leave listeners better than they found them by sharing their interpretation of the folk legacy that feels both timeless and fresh.

Represented By: Coty Hoover

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Swing Makes You Sing! (New York Collective)

Virtual  |  Showcase Spot V3A

Photo of Swing Makes You Sing! (New York Collective)

Photo Credit: Aleks Brown

Swing Makes You Sing! is an award-winning, nationally touring jazz program for children and families that uplifts, connects, and sparks joy through highly interactive concerts and educational outreach. Performed by world-class jazz musicians, the program offers a vibrant, age-appropriate, historically grounded introduction to jazz.

Presenting jazz as a Black American art form, Swing Makes You Sing! celebrates the music's rich cultural legacy while inspiring creativity, listening, collaboration, and self-expression. Through original songs, beloved jazz standards, and playful audience participation, children and families sing, dance, clap, improvise, respond, and create alongside the band.

In addition to performances, Swing Makes You Sing! offers curriculum standards-aligned workshops, school residencies, teacher resources, and community engagement activities that deepen learning and extend the concert experience.

Whether in performing arts centers, schools, festivals, libraries, or community spaces, Swing Makes You Sing! invites audiences of all ages to experience the joy, energy, and inclusivity of jazz through an engaging, unforgettable live performance.

Represented By: Randi Mann | Star Sound Advice

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CeCe Teneal's DIVAS OF SOUL: The Best of Patti, Gladys, Tina & More!

Main Stage  |  Showcase Spot A7

Photo of CeCe Teneal's DIVAS OF SOUL: The Best of Patti, Gladys, Tina & More!

Take a ride on the "Midnight Train to Georgia" over "River Deep, Mountain High" while award-winning vocalist CeCe Teneal delivers you the "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" you deserve in DIVAS OF SOUL, a one-of-a-kind concert event! This spectacular celebration of fifty years of chart-topping music from artists like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, and more has wowed audiences worldwide, featuring hits from the Disco Era ("Bad Girl," "Best of My Love") to Motown/R&B ("Dancing In the Street," "Killing Me Softly") and Pop ("What's Love Got to Do with It," "How Will I Know").

An award-winning songstress in her own right, Ms. Teneal was chosen as the halftime headliner for the 2019 Citrus Bowl, and in 2022, Mayor Buddy Dyer and Mayor Jerry Demmings proclaimed September 17th as Annual CeCe Teneal Day in Orlando and Orange County respectively to celebrate her twenty years of arts and entertainment contributions.

"[CeCe Teneal] forces you to feel and connect with emotions you didn't know you had." – Presenter, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando FL

Represented By: Ron DeStefano | EPIC Arts Management

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Dawn Landes

Main Stage  |  Showcase Spot A8

Photo of Dawn Landes

Photo Credit: Jeff Fasano, Brent Villena

Dawn Landes is a North Carolina-based singer-songwriter whose music you might have heard if you watch The Good Wife, House or Gossip Girl. She's a frequent collaborator of contemporaries such as Sufjan Stevens, Norah Jones and composer Nico Muhly and has appeared with the Boston Pops, the NYC Ballet and on the TED Main Stage. In addition to her latest EP Catch a Little Sun, her work includes The Liberated Woman's Songbook, the original musical ROW, and Well, I Declare, a multidisciplinary project marking America's 250th.

Represented By: Billy Maupin | Resounding Strategies

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Mike Super - Magic & Illusion

Main Stage  |  Showcase Spot A9

Photo of Mike Super - Magic & Illusion

Real Magic. Unreal Experience. As the winner of NBC's hit television series Phenomenon, Mike Super remains the only magician in history to win a LIVE magic competition on primetime network television and earn the title of America's Favorite Mystifier. Continuing his primetime network TV credibility, he was also a finalist on NBC's America's Got Talent and appeared on the season premiere of Penn & Teller: Fool Us.

Imagine world-class illusions combined with the energy and laughter of a headline comedian. Mike has redefined the magic show experience, bringing interactive, mainstream entertainment directly to the audience. Forget sitting back and watching from a distance. Mike brings the magic directly into the audience, transforming ordinary guests into the stars of extraordinary moments. The foundation of Mike's success is his extraordinary ability to connect with people. Through television appearances, live performances, and personal interactions, he creates genuine moments of wonder, humor, and amazement. His engaging personality and relatable style have helped make him one of the most sought-after magical entertainers in the world.

Mike's family-friendly production delivers an emotional journey filled with laughter, suspense, astonishment, anticipation, inspiration, and heart. Audiences of all ages leave with more than memories of incredible illusions, they leave having experienced something truly extraordinary together. Experience the magic, the laughter, and the wonder that only Mike Super can deliver.

Represented By: Robin Nemanick | Mike Super - Magic & Illusion

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Thank You To Our Event Sponsors!

Carolina Theatre of Durham         Audio & Light           alphagraphics | Downtown Raleigh

               


  

                  

          


Marcato Artists | The Virginia Somerville Sutton Theatre at Well-Spring The Singing Zoologist

The Reverend Shawn Amos Dynamo Productions | Fantexter Dave's Arts Management Network

         

ArtsMarket Benefactor Donation Made In Honor of Larrry Gilbert & Louisa Hart

This project was funded in part by a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

North Carolina Arts Council      South Arts     National Endowment for the Arts