Tryon Fine Arts Center will present “Scottish Solstice Holiday Celebration” on Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. on the Veh Stage. Sponsored by New View Realty, this performance captures the beauty and atmosphere of the Scottish Highlands during the holidays, weaving a tapestry of music, dance and stories that hearken back to the ancient Celtic celebrations associated with the Winter Solstice and Christmas.

Headlining the show is nationally-acclaimed violinist, storyteller and Tryon resident Jamie Laval. Joining Laval is an impressive lineup of top Celtic performers, including Asheville guitarist David Brown, bagpiper and bombarde player Rosalind Buda, renowned piper Bill Caudill, lyric soprano Alexandria Carrico, U.S. National Scottish Harp Champion Kelly Brzowzski and three dancers from the Atlanta Glencoe School of Highland Dance.

What sets Laval’s music in a class by itself are the nuance, virtuosity and musical craftsmanship he brings to an ancient art form. Simple Celtic folk melodies are transformed into epic tonal narratives that take the listener on an emotional journey from quiet melancholy to wild jubilation.

In 2002, Laval won the U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship and subsequently embarked on a full-time touring career, which today includes dozens of engagements per year throughout the U.S. and Scotland. Laval has recorded three solo albums to date. Murmurs and Drones, his most recent, won the popular vote for Best World Traditional Album in the 2012 Independent Music Awards. He has also collaborated on numerous television, film and CD recordings including Dave Matthews’ Some Devil, Warner Bros. Pictures’ Wild America, and WB-TV series Everwood.

Tryon Fine Arts Center is a nonprofit organization that operates and programs a 300-seat performance venue and 150-seat amphitheater for music, opera, theatre, dance, exhibits and lectures on Melrose Avenue in Tryon. TFAC also makes the arts accessible to local students through education and outreach programs. The box office is open Tuesday – Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Tickets for the Scottish holiday celebration may be purchased at the box office, online at tryonarts.org or by calling 828-859-8322.

-Article submitted by Lori Walter