2026 NERFA Formal Showcase
November 12-15, 2026
Formal Showcase Artists
NERFA’s Formal Showcase offers an exciting opportunity for artists to perform for all NERFA attendees. Artists will be chosen by a 5 panel jury, each with significant experience in music curation. Over two nights, selected artists will have the chance to showcase their talents in front of industry professionals, presenters, and an appreciative audience.
This year’s showcase artists have already been selected.
The Black-Eyed Suzies are a Maryland-based all-female traditional bluegrass band. Featuring fancy fiddling and driving three-finger banjo, the band is rounded out by five fantastic singers who love to swap leads and harmonies. Helmed by champion fiddler and seasoned performer Sarah Larsen, the Suzies put on an excellent show that favors the femme. Bluegrass is ready for their heartbreaking vocals and adorable banter.
Andrew Pauls is a songwriter, a storyteller, community-builder, a cyclist, and sometimes
a gardener. Andrew is fascinated by the small stories that scaffold our lives– the tiny
triumphs and tragedies that shape us into who we are. Andrew is in love with the world,
and each of his meticulous imagery reveals his curiosity about everyday things.
Pauls’s observant and compassionate songs have won him numerous awards, including
first place in the 2026 Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriter Showcase and the overall
grant prize in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest.
On stage, Andrew leads with joy, inviting the listener to join him in his state of wonder–
as if he were pointing at the sky and shouting, “wow, look at the moon!”
Jane Cory, a Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, and Kyle Burghout, a North American Irish Fiddle Champion, combine award-winning musicianship with an engaging and heartfelt stage presence. Rooted in the fiddling traditions of Manitoba and the Ottawa Valley, their music is shaped by these influences while embracing inspiration from Cape Breton, Ireland, and their travels around the world. The result is a distinctive blend of tradition and originality that feels both deeply grounded and refreshingly contemporary.
The late legendary Detroit Free Press columnist, Bob Talbert wrote about Robert: “Perhaps the world’s most highly educated blues musician, an ordained minister, a longtime DJ, and a living encyclopedia of blues history, the Reverend Robert Jones is comfortable among juke joint loud talkers, fancy-hatted church ladies, and PhDs alike.”
Wielding some of the most ancient instruments used in modern music, Ayreheart is Renaissance meets traditional roots meets contemporary folk. Centered around the versatile lute textures of Grammy-nominated Ronn McFarlane, the quartet delights with a repertoire including everything from Shakespearean verse, original tunes, and classic rock traced back to its surprising 16th-century sources. Lyrical and lively, the recent addition of folk rocker Heather Aubrey Lloyd on vocals blurs lines ever further, educating on and preserving musical traditions while expanding upon them for the 21st century.
Nova Scotia singer-songwriter Dave Gunning has spent more than 30 years connecting audiences around the world through heartfelt songs, compelling storytelling and his trademark down-home humour. Across 13 albums, including his latest release Field Notes, Gunning has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s most respected folk songwriters, finding inspiration in everyday people, community and the stories that shape our lives.
A veteran performer and recording artist, Hayley Reardon has released over 95 original songs to date, toured extensively throughout the US and over 300 shows in Europe. Along the way she has shared the stage with renowned artists including Lori McKenna, Rodney Crowell, Dar Williams, Anaïs Mitchell, Xavier Rudd, John Paul White, Rachel Platten and most recently, Ed Sheeran, who invited Reardon to perform at his Old Phone Pub pop-up in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
Arthur Coates & Kerran Cotterell are a two-man trad tornado tearing through the folk world with foot percussion, fiddle, guitar, vocals, and groove to spare. Mixing Scottish and English roots with modern flair, they deliver foot-stomping tunes, rich harmonies, and cheek and charm. Whether in a village hall or a festival field, their shows radiate connection and joy. Winners of the Robinson
Emerging Artist Showcase at Canada’s Goderich Celtic Roots Festival, they’re fast becoming one of the scene’s most talked-about acts. Their upcoming album Controlled Burn turns tradition sideways – storytelling with soul, and grooves that smoulder, spark, and occasionally catch fire.
2025 International Acoustic Music Award winner, 2026 Kerrville New Folk Finalist and Canadian Folk Music Award nominee Robert Thomas is one of Canada’s finest lyricists and collaborative songwriters. Backed by the multi-instrumental “sessionmen,” Thomas and his co-writers deliver compelling original Folk/Americana mixed with a touch of Bluegrass and beautiful four part harmonies that have captivated audiences across North America and Europe. Four men, eight instruments one amazing evening.
Kirsten Maxwell is a New York born artist, singer, and songwriter, known for her unique voice, reminiscent of Joni Mitchell and Eva Cassidy. With a background in Opera and a love for Jazz Standards, Maxwell is known for effortlessly crossing genres. Her clever, heart-rending lyrics have been recognized in several contests across the country, and her talent has earned her opening slots for Melissa Etheridge, Tanya Tucker, The Bacon Brothers and a tour with legendary singer/songwriter Judy Collins.
Deni Bonet & Chris Flynn are a folk-rock duo whose blend of voices, virtuoso violin, guitar and humor has entertained and captivated audiences around the world. Their lively shows mix original songs and instrumentals with infectious energy and warm, spontaneous banter, and between them, their credits include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, NPR’s Mountain Stage, the Great Wall of China, and performances with The Chieftains, Cyndi Lauper, Richard Thompson, Warren Zevon and Sarah McLachlan.
“Deni Bonet and Chris Flynn’s performances are irresistible for their charisma and musicality.”
~ John Platt, WFUV 90.7 FM
Ray Bonneville has created and mastered a fusion of traditional American Roots and Blues music all his own and deeply influenced by his upbringing in French Canada and the years he spent writing and playing music in New Orleans. He is known as the master of the slow burn, the groove and acclaimed for his harmonica tone. With a greasy guitar style, horn-like harmonica, smoky vocals and pulsing foot percussion he captivates audiences by being his own backing band. Known for his sparce evocative storytelling, Ray’s songs often feature characters living on the fringe of society, set down lonely roads, on long stretches of highway or in the belly of teeming cities.
The trio of artists that is The Refugees emerged on the music scene as a verifiably unmatched force of talent, diversity, and experience. Each successful in their own right as a solo artist, Cidny Bullens, Deborah Holland and Wendy Waldman formed their unique and innovative group in 2007 and since that time have been wowing audiences, radio DJs, and music critics alike with their soaring harmonies, indelible musicianship, and unforgettably humorous stage presence.
Alex Radus is hailed as a “versatile crooner” and “skillful fretman”, but his songwriting takes center stage. Known affectionately for his unique brand of “genre whiplash”, Alex pairs whimsical and poignant storytelling with an eclectic mix of Americana, swing, blues, folk and more. John Gorka calls him a “remarkable artist…worth going out of your way to hear.” Alex was voted a 2025 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Most Wanted Emerging Artist. His most recent release, Where Liberty Lives, reached #10 on the FAI Folk Radio charts for March 2026. Where Liberty Lives “is the kind of song that reminds you what folk music was always meant to do. Timely, tender, and absolutely necessary.” (Rock the Pigeon Music Blog) Alex has shared the stage with Livingston Taylor, John Gorka, Darrell Scott and other national artists.
Carolyn Shapiro is an old-time banjo player and songwriter from Upstate NY whose music feeds the soul like a home-cooked meal. Blending a deep-rooted traditional style with a modern perspective, she pushes the boundaries of the banjo with songs that explore the complexities of being human. On stage, her hypnotic picking and commanding voice are grounded by a warmth and vulnerability that make every show feel intimate.
Redd & The Paper Flowers are a four piece from Knoxville, Tennessee playing what they call Living Room Folk, a sound they coined to capture the intimacy of music shared in close quarters. With Katie Adams on upright bass, Colleen d’Alelio on cello, Gavin Gregg on mandolin, and Redd Daugherty on guitar and lead vocals, the band weaves Appalachian songwriting through jazz phrasing and chamber arrangements, and has also been described as Folk-grass and Appalachian Jazz.