Nazareth College Arts Center to present Wisewater, with Webster native and Grammy nominee Kate Lee, January 20

ROCHESTER, NY (12/08/2016)(readMedia)-- The Nazareth College Arts Center is pleased to present Wisewater on Friday, January 20, 2017, at 8 p.m. in the Callahan Theater. The Nashville-based Americana duo made up of Webster native and recent Grammy Award nominee Kate Lee and Forrest O'Connor will perform its original acoustic music.

Visit naz.edu/arts-center/newsroom/ for photos. Artists are available for advance phone interviews.

THE PERFORMANCE

Since its inception in 2013, Wisewater has earned praise from such legends as Alison Krauss, Rosanne Cash, Mary Gauthier, and others for the lyrical honesty, infectious melodies, tight harmonies, and instrumental virtuosity in its refreshing roots, country, rock, and acoustic music.

The duo's debut EP, The Demonstration, was released in November 2014 and reached number 13 on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart. Featuring five original songs, the record was hailed as "strong and memorable" (The Nashville Scene).

Wisewater has performed in notable venues including 3rd and Lindsley (where the duo debuted in 2014), Nashville's legendary Station Inn (where it made its headlining debut in 2015 to a packed house), The Bluebird Café, the Grand Ole Opry, and Joe's Pub, as well as music festivals across the country. The duo has shared the stage with Emmylou Harris, John Cowan, Mark O'Connor, Ricky Skaggs, and many others.

KATE LEE (vocals, fiddle) hails from Webster, where she began singing and playing the fiddle at age nine. In middle and high school, she performed at festivals, theaters, and clubs throughout the Northeast, and by the time she left home to study at Belmont University in Nashville in 2010 she had recorded three albums with mostly original material. While in College, Lee played at The Bluebird Cafe and in various songwriting showcases. She also worked her way up the ranks to become a regular performer at the CMA Awards and CMA Country Christmas Shows, singing and playing fiddle behind Rod Stewart, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, and other major entertainers. By 2014 she was opening multiple tours for country giant Don Williams, while also finishing her senior year. In 2016, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for her work on the O'Connor Band's Coming Home (nominated for Best Bluegrass Album), on which she plays fiddle, sings and co-wrote three songs.

FORREST O'CONNOR (vocals, mandolin, guitar) is the son of famed country fiddler Mark O'Connor. He grew up in Nashville and Montana and from early on was exposed to some of the best musicians in country music, including Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, and others. O'Connor enrolled at Harvard University in 2006, where he met songwriter Jim Shirey, with whom he began performing as a duo and continues to partner with. After graduating in 2010, O'Connor co-founded an Internet startup called Concert Window and began performing throughout New England--both solo and as a member of several other bands--until relocating to Nashville in 2013. In 2014, he won the Tennessee State Mandolin Championship. In addition to Wisewater, O'Connor performs with his father in the O'Connor Band.

TICKETS

Single tickets to Wisewater are $25-$35. For tickets call-or visit-the Box Office: 585-389-2170 or order online: naz.edu/arts-center.

The Nazareth College Arts Center Box Office is located on campus at 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, New York, 14618. Regular box office hours are Monday-Friday, 11am-5pm and 11am until curtain time on performance days.

SPONSORS

The Nazareth College Arts Center is a non-profit institution whose series sponsors are The Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation and M&T Bank. The performance by Wisewater is sponsored by Alstom Signaling North America, with WRUR as the media sponsor.

ABOUT THE NAZARETH COLLEGE ARTS CENTER

Since 1967, the Nazareth College Arts Center has served as a venue and educational resource for students, educators, artists, and audiences of all ages to create, study, and experience the visual and performing arts. The Arts Center's subscription series and K-12 school performance series provide area residents of all ages with opportunities to experience world-class dance, multi-cultural entertainment, family programming, music, theatre, and special events. The Departments of Art, Music, and Theatre and Dance, present exceptional productions, recitals, and exhibitions, which are open to the public, while preparing students for successful careers in arts-related fields.

The Nazareth College Arts Center is the performance home of the Rochester City Ballet and world-renowned Garth Fagan Dance; and home to the Bach Children's Chorus.

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