NASHVILLE, Tenn. ñ Appalachian music will ring out on the grounds of the Dyer Observatory in the next installment of the Music on the Mountain concert series on Sunday, Oct. 24.
Admission will be free for the 6 p.m. outdoor concert by Butch Baldassari and David Schnaufer, who teach mandolin and dulcimer, respectively, at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. Julie Adams on cello and Richard Smith on guitar will open the show.
Visitors will be invited to view the stars through the observatory’s Seyfert telescope after the concert.
"It’s a really nice spot, beautiful and isolated," Baldassari said of the grounds of Dyer Observatory. "We will perform under a tent at the entrance to the observatory, and I think the intimacy of the venue works very well for acoustic music."
Baldassari, who has taught at Blair since 1996, is the founder and leader of the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble and a member of the band The Grass is Greener. His recorded work includes sessions with Alison Krauss and Elec Bacsik, and he was nominated for a Grammy in 1992.
Schnaufer won the National Dulcimer Competition in 1976. He has toured with the Everly Brothers and performed on albums by Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, Emmylou Harris, The Judds and many others. He has written dulcimer instruction books and taught at Blair since 1995.
The only parking allowed for the concert will be at the Bethel World Outreach Center on the corner of Old Hickory Boulevard and Granny White Pike. Starting at 4 p.m., shuttles will transport Music on the Mountain attendees to Dyer Observatory.
Due to limited space, a maximum of 500 people will be admitted.
Visitors are encouraged to pack a picnic and bring blankets and lawn chairs for comfort. If the case of uncertain weather, call 615-373-4897 or check the Dyer Observatory website at www.dyer.vanderbilt.edu for updates.
Dyer Observatory is located at 1000 Oman Drive, off Granny White Pike between Old Hickory Boulevard and Otter Creek Road, near Richland Country Club. A map is available at www.dyer.vanderbilt.edu/directions.htm.
Media contact: Jim Patterson, (615) 322-NEWS
Jim.patterson@vanderbilt.edu