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AMASA -- Beethoven & Banjos, the Upper Peninsula's acclaimed cross-genre music festival, has announced its 2026 theme, "Music of Madagascar," featuring internationally recognized Malagasy musicians Mikahely Razafy (Mikahely) and David Rajaonary (Rade).
The performances include 7:30 p.m. Eastern time Thursday at Marquette Regional History Center in Marquette; 7:30 p.m. Eastern time Saturday at Michigan Technological University's McArdle Theatre at the Walker Center for Arts and Humanities in Houghton and 2 p.m. Central time Sunday at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp in Crystal Falls. For ticket information, go to www.northwoodsmusiccollaborative.org/beethoven-and-banjos.
More than a presentation of classical and traditional music, Beethoven & Banjos is an immersive artistic residency that brings musicians together from diverse musical backgrounds to create new works and fresh interpretations inspired by the Upper Peninsula's landscape, culture and heritage. During an intensive week-long residency, artists collaborate through writing, arranging, rehearsing, educational outreach and performances, creating a unique musical experience for audiences and students alike.
The 2026 festival will unite Mikahely and Rade with festival co-founders Laurel Premo and Evan Premo, exploring connections between Malagasy musical traditions and North American folk, classical and improvisational music.
"Mikahely's music is deeply rooted in Madagascar," Evan Premo said. "He sings primarily in Malagasy and plays the valiha, a traditional Malagasy bamboo tube-zither with a shimmering, beautiful sound. The rhythms in his music are absolutely infectious."
Mikahely, a Malagasy singer-songwriter now based in Vermont, combines the gentle, flowing rhythms of traditional Madagascar with contemporary acoustic influences. A self-taught musician, he performs on both the valiha and guitar, crafting warm and melodic songs that draw from traditional lullabies and folk forms. His work explores themes of memory, nature, and social awareness, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience Madagascar's rich cultural heritage. Mikahely is part of Silkroad, formerly the Silk Road Project Inc., a not-for-profit organization initiated by the cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, promoting collaboration among artists and institutions, multicultural artistic exchange and studying the ebb and flow of ideas.
Rajaonary, known to many as "Rade," has toured nationally and established himself as a respected member of New York City's world music community. He performs with the world music ensemble BeMaeva and has collaborated with artists including Okaidja Afroso, Muriel Mwamba and numerous others.
Laurel Premo is an experimental roots artist known for rhythmically deep and rapt delivery onfinger-style electric guitar, fiddle, and voice. Her sacred art reflects and amplifies the northern wilderness and reveals a complete submersion in heavy archaic roots rom the crossover of old-time and blues American traditions to darker Nordic sounds.
Evan Premo is a composer, double bassist, and Artistic Director of Northwoods Music Collaborative. Known for creating music inspired by nature, community, and cultural exchange, he has performed at Carnegie Hall, appeared on NPR's "Performance Today," and leads collaborative projects that bring together musicians from diverse traditions
"What excites me just as much as the music is the spirit that Mikahely and Rade will bring with them," Premo added. "Mikahely is a wonderful communicator about Malagasy spirituality, nature, and our relationship with the living world. It feels particularly meaningful to bring that perspective to the Upper Peninsula, where the natural world is such an important part of how so many of us understand home."
A defining aspect of Beethoven & Banjos is its collaborative creative process. Rather than presenting a pre-existing program, participating musicians spend the week sharing traditions, arranging music, improvising and discovering new artistic possibilities together. Beyond the music itself, the festival seeks to foster cultural exchange and deeper connections between people and place.
"One of the things I love most about Beethoven & Banjos is that it isn't simply a concert where musicians arrive and perform the music they already know," said Premo. "We come together for a week, share music with one another, rehearse, arrange, improvise, and discover what can happen between musical traditions."
In addition to public performances, the festival will present an educational program at the Crystal Theatre on Wednesday for students from Forest Park, West Iron County and North Dickinson County schools.
Beethoven & Banjos is a project of Northwoods Music Collaborative, a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to creating transformative musical experiences through innovative collaborations, artist residencies, educational programs, and community events that connect people to one another and to the natural world of the Northwoods. The Beethoven and Banjos program is supported in part by Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts.