Rakish

Rooted in tradition with an ear toward the future, contemporary folk duo Rakish embodies earnest musical exploration and demonstrates an infectious playfulness on stage. In their sound together, it is evident the two friends share an unbridled love for the traditional sounds of Celtic and American music, and the tight ensemble of a group with years of collaboration under their belt. Strings Magazine says: “Explorative and versatile, the duo draws evident inspiration from not just the deep and wide history of Scottish and Irish Celtic composition, but also the precision-focused structures of classical chamber music and a whole array of improvisational styles.

Featuring:

Maura Shawn Scanlin, Fiddle, Banjo
Conor Hearn, Guitar

Friday, September 26, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 Students & Seniors - $29 Early Bird - $35 General / $40 Door

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Known for her toneful and award-winning fiddle playing in the Celtic music world, Maura Shawn Scanlin grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Maura is a 2-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion and a winner of the Glenfiddich Fiddle Competition in Scotland. Her clawhammer banjo playing and songwriting, also featured in the duo, hold the regional music of her homeland close. Maura finds her niche combining influences from a widespread musical journey with the sounds she grew up around.

Steeped in the Irish music communities of Washington D.C. and Baltimore, MD where he was raised, acclaimed guitarist Conor Hearn developed a keen interest in literary theory and poetry, a unique well of material from which he draws unending musical inspiration. His settings of modernist poems, like James Joyce’s Chamber Music, epitomize the duo’s approach: the dexterous alchemy of the old and the new into something wholly Rakish. A keenly sought-after collaborative guitarist, Conor performs with many of the most renowned names in Celtic music today. His guitar style combines bass and rhythm for a uniquely powerful and precise sound.

Artist Links

Websites: wwww.rakishmusic.com

Facebook:www.facebook.com/rakishduo

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@rakishduo