Two-Time Canadian Country Music Award ‘Group of the Year’ Hey Romeo Coming to Horizon Stage

Since forming in 2002, and cutting their teeth in Alberta’s highly competitive country music scene, Edmonton band Hey Romeo has grown from a hard-touring regional success to a national sensation whose popularity continues to skyrocket.  Their energetic blend of modern and traditional country, vintage folk, and rock and roll has been called a “soundtrack for day-to-day life” and has earned them a wide and diversified fan base.  Now, after ten years in the industry together and multiple CCMA (Canadian Country Music Award) wins, band members Stacie Roper, Rob Shapiro, and Darren Gusnowsky remain as tight on stage as they do off. Their deep personal connection and friendship is evident in their recorded music and when they perform together live. Horizon Stage is excited to present Hey Romeo, Alberta’s fastest rising country music act, Up Close and Personal on Saturday, March 2^nd at 7:30 p.m.

Lead vocalist Stacie Roper is a woman who sings from the heart and shoots from the hip. Stacie draws her inspiration from the harmonies of the Statler Brothers, the feel of The Mavericks, the vocals of Alison Krauss, and the strength of Martina McBride while also taking cues from eighties ladies like Cyndi Lauper and Debbie Harry when making a connection with her audience.

2012 CCMA keyboard player of the year, Rob Shapiro, has one foot in neo-traditional country music and the other in really good rock and roll.  Anyone who has had the opportunity to converse with Rob, a graduate of Grant MacEwan College’s jazz program, understands that this piano-playing singer-songwriter adheres to the Duke Ellington philosophy that “there are only two kinds of music, good and bad.”

Another musician who is in it “for the long run”, guitarist, singer, and tunesmith Darren Gusnowsky loves the country-honk of the Exile On Mainstreet-era Rolling Stones, and the seamless harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in their prime. But it was his mother turning him on to Ricky Skaggs that convinced him he should pay more attention to hardcore country sounds.

No strangers to crossing the CCMA stage, Hey Romeo’s 2008 self-titled debut CD garnered them a Top New Talent of the Year – Group or Duo award. Their follow-up, 2010′s That’s What I Am, yielded five singles and a 2011 CCMA for Group or Duo of the Year. Demonstrating the drive and determination that’s been a hallmark of their career from day one, Hey Romeo immediately went back into the studio and recorded their third album, Twist of Fate, which landed the band their second CCMA for Group of the Year in 2012.

Over time, Hey Romeo has shared the stage with big name artists such as The Kentucky Headhunters, Marty Stuart, Sugarland, Darius Rucker, Gord Bamford and Johnny Reid. They have become regular fixtures on stage at Las Vegas’ annual National Finals Rodeo and are currently sailing through the Western Caribbean, performing for fans aboard the Norwegian Star Cruise ship. Together they have earned a reputation as not just Canada’s hardest working country act, but as one of the hardest working bands in the country, period.

Characterized by tight harmonies, the signature interplay between Rob’s keyboards, Darren’s guitar, and Stacie’s powerhouse vocals, Hey Romeo’s sound is a mixture of classic country phrasing and slick, upbeat, urban bounce. Catch them in Spruce Grove at Horizon Stage on Saturday, March 2^nd at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults, $30 for students and seniors, and $5 for high school students through the eyeGO program. Tickets may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995, or online at www.ticketmaster.ca.

           

Hey Romeo on March 2nd

The Wolak Donnelly Duo on February 16

Big Sky Media Board Ads for This Week's Concerts

A Remarkable Blend of Classical and Jazz That Fans of Both Genres Will Love!

See the Wolak-Donnelly Duo at Horizon Stage on Saturday, February 16

Armed with a clarinet, a piano, and their personable stage presence, Kornel Wolak and ChrisDonnelly present a remarkable blend of classical and jazz music rarely heard in live performance. From revered classical pieces such as Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major, to Gershwin’s famous Rhapsody in Blue, and Oscar Peterson’s classic Hymn to Freedom, Chris and Kornel captivate audiences with virtuosity, familiar melodies and a profound passion for music and performing. Horizon Stage is excited to present the The Wolak-Donnelly Duo on Saturday, February 16^th at 7:30 p.m.

Born in Bialystok, Poland, clarinetist Kornel Wolak earned a Master of Music degree from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Highly praised on not just one but two continents for his glorious tone, precise technical control and musical imagination, he is well on his way to a major career as a soloist and chamber musician in both classical and cross-over repertoire. As a member of the renowned Quartetto Gelato from 2007 to 2009 Kornel performed on their 2009 recording, Musica Latina. As a soloist he has performed with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Sinfonietta, Poland’s Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra, and Charleston (North Carolina) Symphony Orchestra and, as a chamber musician, he has appeared with the Wieniawski String Quartet, the Glenn Gould String Quartet, the Tokai Quartet and the Lodos Wind Quintet.

 Chris Donnelly represents a new generation of jazz pianists, composers and improvisers dedicated to creating programs that are engaging, entertaining and educating. He is continually praised for his virtuosic performances, musicality, versatility and ability to captivate audiences. In 2008, Chris released his Juno-nominated, debut album Solo, which featured a blend of original material and jazz standard arrangements. Solo also earned him 2009 National Jazz Awards nominations for Best Recording of the Year and Best Keyboardist of the Year. In March 2011, Chris released an album of original music inspired by the works of graphic artist M.C. Escher entitled Metamorphosis. Chris Donnelly holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Toronto and he is currently a working as professor at his alma mater.

The Wolak-Donnelly Duo is touring western Canada this winter and you can catch them at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Saturday, February 16^th. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for students and seniors, and $5 for high school students through the eyeGO program. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995, or online at Ticketmaster. Whether you’re a classical music fan or jazz enthusiast you’ll be sure to enjoy this unique and highly entertaining concert event! 

 

“Control and a smooth, elegant expressivity are what make Wolak shine.” - The Toronto Star

“…this guy [Chris Donnelly] sure knows his way around the piano. And his virtuoso playing blows the mind…

In a way he resembles a young Duke Ellington…” - World Music Centre

“It’s a pleasure to hear an impressive new artist [Chris Donnelly] creating something fresh and different, very accessible and entertaining.” – Roger Levesque, Edmonton Journal

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