Clinton, NY – Hamilton College Performing Arts opens the Fall 2026 series with the early music ensemble Ruckus with guest violinist Keir GoGwilt on Friday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 pm in Wellin Hall, Schambach Center for Music and the Performing Arts.
The program, called The Scottish Corelli, features the music of Scottish fiddler Neil Gow and Italian composer Arcangelo Corelli celebrating in the rich exchange of musical ideas from Scottish fiddle tunes and Italian Baroque violin sonatas. As early as the 17th century, Italian musicians began working in the courts of Scotland, Ireland and Wales. This legacy was continued by violinists like Francesco Geminiani, who wrote of the mission to “civilize and inspire” the “intirely rude and barbarous” state of Scottish music. Especially in the 18th century, Scottish composers began borrowing classical techniques and forms in their own contributions to Scotland’s music. The preeminent Scottish fiddler, Neil Gow, was often called the “Scottish Corelli”—a reference to the famous Italian violinist with whom Geminiani studied. And some historians speculate that public houses in Edinburgh featured Scottish Baroque sessions featuring Corelli sonatas alongside traditional Scottish jigs and reels.
Ruckus is a shapeshifting, collaborative baroque ensemble with a visceral and playful approach to early music. Ruckus’s core is the baroque equivalent of a jazz rhythm section: guitars, keyboards, cello, bassoon and bass. The NYC-based ensemble aims to fuse the early-music movement’s questing, creative spirit with the grit, groove and jangle of American roots music, creating a unique The group’s members are among the most creative and virtuosic performers in North American early music.
Keir GoGwilt is a violinist, composer, and musicologist who was born in Edinburgh and grew up in New York City. His work combined close listening research and collaborativ. His scholarship and creative work explore the ways in which cultural and material histories shape musical creativity and meaning.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens and $5 for students. For more information, call the box office at (315) 859-4331 or visit www.hamilton.edu/performingarts. This performance is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts.
###
