© 2025 Blue Ridge Public Radio
Blue Ridge Mountains banner background
Your source for information and inspiration in Western North Carolina.
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Swannanoa Gathering Celebrates 25 Years

WUNC | By Frank Stasio,
Charlie Shelton
Published July 1, 2016 at 12:09 PM EDT
Kathy Mattea performs at the Swannanoa Gathering.
Arlin Geyer/Warren Wilson College
Kathy Mattea performs at the Swannanoa Gathering.

For the last 25 years, the Swannanoa Gathering has brought thousands of people from across the world to experience the old-time musical traditions of Appalachia.

The five-week program features workshops in traditional folk, guitar composition and Celtic music and includes instruction from Grammy award-winning musicians like Janis Ian and Tom Paxton.

Doug Orr, founder of the Swannanoa Gathering, and old time musicians David Holt and Josh Goforth give us a preview of this years Swannanoa Gathering.

Host Frank Stasio talks with Doug Orr, president emeritus of Warren Wilson College and founder of the Swannanoa Gathering, about the gathering's origins. David Holt performs live on guitar and vocals along with Josh Goforth on fiddle.

The Swannanoa Gathering takes place at Warren Wilson College in Asheville from July 3 through August 6.​

Copyright 2016 North Carolina Public Radio
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio
Charlie Shelton