Faculty Bios
Last name begins with "O"

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Tim O'Brien is still going strong decades into his career as a singer/songwriter steeped in the musical traditions that form the foundation of American folk. With his newgrass band, Hot Rize, and as a duo with his sister, Mollie, O'Brien honed his skill as a performer (on mandolin, fiddle and almost any stringed instrument) and a crafter of songs that speak to the past, present and future.  The West Virginia native started out playing straight bluegrass but expanded his style and musical repertoire as the popularity of Hot Rize grew. As a solo artist with more than a dozen albums under his belt, he has explored his Celtic side with The Crossing and Fiddler's Green, winning him a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album, and life as a touring musician with The Traveler. His 2008 release, Chameleon, is completely solo - the perfect spotlight for an artist with a deep pool of talents. www.timobrien.net

Göran Ohlsson is a  Swedish master fiddler from Jamtlan.  Jamtland is both a historical province and a modern county in the middle of Sweden and on the border of Norway. Much of the fiddle music of Jamtland is related to folk dance from both the Jamtland and Swedish gammeldans traditions, including hambo, snoa and variations of polka, polska, mazurka and schottis. Göran began his fiddle studies in 1964 under the tutelage of Gun and Arvid Rickardsson. In 1972 he participated as a fiddler at “Polskeuppdansningarna” in Jamtli, Östersund. In 1973 he met three important fiddlers, Ola Jonasson, Lennartölsson and Salmo Sahlin in Föllinge, Jämtland, and started to discover the tradition of “Lapp-Nils”.  From 1975 -79, Goran worked as chairman for "Heimbygdas spelmansförbund", the association for fiddlers in Jämtland. In 1996 he was given the Zorn bronze medal at Skansen, Stockholm.  Göran has appeared at many workshops with Göran and Inger Karlholm and has performed and taught throughout the US and Europe. www.polskdans.se

Harry Orlove is a consummate studio and performance guitarist. For over 20 years, he has been a widely sought-after session guitarist in L.A. He played in the NBC/Dick Clark production Hot Country Nights House Band, was the bandleader of the Palomino Club House Band in North Hollywood, is an endorsee of Martin, Fender and Eastman Guitars, plays for a half-dozen L.A. area bands and has recorded with many artists "both famous and not so famous." In the ‘70’s, Harry played with several major folk acts and bluegrass bands, including Pearls Before Swine, Bottle Hill, The Monroe Doctrine, the Vassar Clements Band and the Limeliters. www.cdbaby.com/cd/harryorlove

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