April Verch was born to traditional music, in Canada’s hard-working, hard-dancing Ottawa Valley. She was a local star at age four, step dancing with her sister and winning awards at contests. The fact that they were for “Youngest Competitor” didn’t dampen her child eyed enthusiasm. Laughing about it now, she says, “I thought, gee, this is easy!” The harder it became, the more Verch loved it. She became the first woman in history to win both of Canada’s most prestigious fiddle championships, the Grand Masters and Canadian Open. When Canada hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, Verch was asked to represent her country’s music at the opening ceremonies.
Opening act - Seattle-based singer, songwriter, and recent Northern California transplant, Jill Cohn, whose songs pay homage to artists like Joni Mitchell, Sarah McLachlan and the Counting Crows, plays original tunes ranging from personal reflections to musical contemplations of a live well lived. Born and raised in a small town in Eastern Washington, Cohn started singing before she started talking, and music has always been an integral part of her journey. A full-time musician since 1996, Cohn has released eight critically-acclaimed independent releases, was a national finalist in both the Lilith Fair Talent Search, and Jewel's Soul City Cafe, while she has been engaging in 10 years of nonstop touring. Her music can be found in popular TV shows such as Dawson's Creek, Smallville, and Hawthorne.
