Anna Falkenau (fiddles, viola) and Gonzalo Llao Diaz (vocals, bouzouki, flute)

Across the Oceans – An Evening of American Old-time and Asturian Music and Beyond

“music that you could clog to on any Old Kentucky Porch” (IMM)

“gloriously sublime” (Boston Reporter)

“virtuosic fiddle playing” (fRoots)

Fiddle player Anna Falkenau teams up with Asturian multi-instrumentalist Gonzalo Llao Diaz for a concert of crossing the musical – and really not-so-great (!) – divides between American old-time, Asturian and South Indian musics, with a nod at times to Irish traditional music for good measure. Both musicians bring a wealth of musical experience to the stage, connected by their deep respect for the various traditional musics they engage in and driven by an innate sense and desire to express themselves within and across these musical genres.

 Anna Falkenau, who “lives and breathes a rich mix of American Old Timey, Irish traditional and … south Indian influences” (Siobhán Long, Irish Times) has released two critically acclaimed CDs, both receiving four-star reviews in The Irish Times. Anna’s album I Can Hear You Calling with five-string banjo player Lena Ullman brought her involvement with American Old-time music to the fore,  with music critic Alex Monaghan exclaiming that the album “raises the hairs on my neck at times, that primal edge on the fiddle particularly“ (Folkworld). Siobhán Lond describes her compositions as “beautifully quirky” and a “masterclass in imaginative playing” (Irish Times).

Anna has performed nationally and internationally, with artists such as Dolores Keane, John Faulkner, the late Tony Small, Nuala Kennedy, Grant Dermody, Holly Geraghty, Mary Shannon, and others and has contributed to John Faulkner’s latest album Storm in my Heart. Earlier this year, she played at Celtic Connections in Glasgow with Liz Doherty & Fiddlesticks, and back in Galway, sessions with Steph Geremia, Kevin Hough, Holly Geraghty, Pádraic Keane and many other wonderful musicians.

 Gonzalo Llao Diaz is an exquisite Asturian bouzouki and flute player, and singer of traditional Asturian songs, whose journey began with a foundation in early music, developing an interest in Asturian music before expanding his focus to the traditional music of Celtic nations. His dedication has shaped him into an eclectic musician with a broad perspective. His professional folk career commenced with Vrienden, an Asturian folk-fusion group with which he recorded their second album, UVE. Since 2019, he has been a member of Deira, an Andalusian/Asturian band. Together, they recorded Alba in a contemporary blend of traditional Asturian, Scottish, and Irish music (2023). Deira has received critical acclaim described as an “example of originality, talent, and superb arrangements” (Irish Music Magazine). He has graced renowned stages and festivals such as Celtic Connections, Edinburgh TradFest, Dranouter, The Reeling, Undercanvas, and the Festival Intercéltico de Lorient, among others. An expert in early music, he holds a degree in Recorder Performance from the Conservatorio Superior de Zaragoza. In 2018, he won the 7th International Early Music Competition of Gijón, a significant achievement in the field of early music.

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