RAKISH: Celtic and American Roots Music

Rooted in tradition with an ear to the future, Rakish brings an infectious playfulness to their musical explorations. Two-time National Scottish Fiddle Champion and master of the clawhammer banjo, Maura Shawn Scanlin, grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. She is joined by Washington, D.C. based Irish guitarist Conor Hearn who has performed with Celtic luminaries such as Seamus Egan and Maeve Gilchrist. 

Embracing the unconventional connotation of their namesake, Rakish make music with freewheeling verve. Having performed at venues across North America including the Library of Congress and Prince Edward Island’s Music Festival, they deftly showcase how to bring forth something new from the deep well of tradition. 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.”