They blew the doors off at last summer's New World Festival, and now the hottest young musicians from the heart of Québéc's trad-roots scene are coming to Cabot Arts. Alexis Chartrand and Nicolas Babineau will appear at the Cabot Town Hall (Willey Building), 3084 Main Street on Thursday, May 17 at 7:00 PM, admission by donation at the door.

Nicolas Babineau discovered his grandfather's violin at the age of 7 and has been making music ever since. From the Conservatory of Classical Music in Trois-Rivières, Nicolas went on to learn guitar, electric bass, mandolin, banjo and Irish bouzouki. Specializing in traditional Québécois music, Nicolas has toured in the United States, France and England and represented French Canada at the Canadian Pavilion at the Epcot Center at Walt Disney World. In 2017, he released an album titled Compos Trad in Local Flavor with the flutist and composer Jean Duval.

Montreal violinist Alexis Chartrand is among the best-known and most gifted musicians in La Belle Province. A master of Québec's musical traditions, he is known for his energetic accompaniment of jig and figure dances and has pursued an interest in Irish and Scottish music and early music repertoire. He has studied classical music and contemporary composition and frequently collaborates with dancers Anne-Marie Gardette, Pierre Chartrand, and Antoine Turmine. Alexis performs regularly with the guitarists Marc Maziade, Colin Savoie-Levac, Peter Senn, and Yann Falquet and has participated in concerts with Rapetipetam, MAZ, and Danse Cadence.

Chartrand & Babineau recently released their first CD, Gigues a deux faces, available at https://alexischartrandnicolasbabineau.bandcamp.com., a witty and ear-opening take on everything from Dvorak to Mrs. McLoed's Reel that places them squarely in the company of such great partnerships as Ireland's Hayes & Cahill and Denmark's Haugaard & Hoirup. Admission is by donation at the door, with beverages available for purchase thanks to The Den at Harry's Hardware, Cabot's dry goods watering spot. For further information contact rdeno@fairpoint.net or visit Cabot Arts on Facebook.

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