Bells & Motley
Saturday December 20 2025
Multi-instrumentalists Bells & Motley (Sondra and John Bromka) return with another special holiday-themed concert. They are historical musical story tellers (as well as instrument makers, authors, and dance callers) who perform on hurdy gurdy, nyckelharpa, French bagpipes, harp, hammered dulcimer, squeezeboxes, assorted historic wind and percussion instruments (and voices). Their numerous topics include the Erie Canal, early music (they’re a founding ensemble at the Sterling Renaissance Festival near Oswego, NY), and world music (including the folk traditions of Netherlands, England, Celtic lands, Spain, Italy and perhaps more!). They have a wonderful gift for connecting to audiences of all ages with a musical mix of history, literature, fine arts, and artistry.
Joining them will be the Champeons of Folly, who will present a traditional mummer’s play.
Performer web page: bellsandmotley.com
John Kirk & Trish Miller
Saturday January 17 2026
As part of an annual tradition, John Kirk (North American Fiddler’s Hall of Famer, on fiddle, mandolin & more) and Trish Miller (banjo, guitar and fancy footwork) will open the Cranberry Coffeehouse’s first concert of the year. This married couple has worked and taught in upstate New York for over three decades. Old time music is the basis for their repertoire, mixed in originals, Celtic, early country songs, humorous selections and Appalachian clog dancing. Much of their music is rooted in the local lore of the northeast woodlands. Their story-telling songs and poetic pieces make their shows fine entertainment for all ages.
Performer web page: johnandtrish.com
Mike Agranoff
Saturday February 21 2026
Mike Agranoff is one of those folk performers that steadfastly defies categorization, and yet amasses stalwart fans from folk aficionados of all categories. He draws his material from sources as diverse as traditional ballads and fiddle tunes, Tin Pan Alley, contemporaries in the Folk World, and his own witty pen. He delivers it with a skilled hand on guitar and English concertina, and an almost telepathic transmittal of the essence of the song, and occasionally a sly twinkle in the eye in anticipation of some of the most horrible parodies ever perpetrated on an unsuspecting audience. A signature feature of Mike’s performances are his inclusion of some heart-stopping spoken word pieces that rivet the listener to unforgettable stories.
allen says: Mike (who last performed here in 2012) was my introduction to folk music when I was a rock-and-roll playing college student back in the 1980’s. His mesmerizing mix of traditional music, spoken-word tales, contemporary singer-songwriter tunes, and more (even Bach on the concertina!), combined with his extraordinary talent on multiple instruments, convinced me to ditch the amplifier and permanently dedicate myself to performing folk and traditional music. I’m excited to be able to bring him back to the Cranberry!
Performer web page: mikeagranoff.com
Hiroya Tsukamoto
Saturday March 21 2026
The Cranberry Coffeehouse is delighted to welcome back guitarist and singer-songwriter Hiroya Tsukamoto, two-time 2nd place winner of International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship. Hiroya began playing the five-string banjo when he was thirteen, and took up guitar shortly after. Originally from Japan, Hiroya came to the United States in 2000 upon receiving a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. He formed the Boston-based group INTEROCEANICO (inter-oceanic) with musicians from around the world, including Latin Grammy Colombian singer Marta Gomez. The group released three acclaimed records (“The Other Side of the World”, “Confluencia” and “Where the River Shines”). Hiroya has released five solo albums. and has been performing internationally, including several appearances at the United Nations, Japanese National Television (NHK), and the famed Blue Note in New York City.
If you didn’t get a chance to hear Hiroya when he performed here last May, you will not want to miss him this time around (and if you did see him before, we know you’ll be eager to catch him again!).
Performer web page: hiroyatsukamoto.com
Alyssa Rodriguez
Saturday April 18 2026
Alyssa Rodriguez is one of the few and finest players of the nyckelharpa in New York, Sweden’s national “keyed fiddle” instrument. She has headlined the American Swedish Institute’s Midwinter Folk Festival and the Jamestown Scandinavian Festival, gives lecture recitals, and sold out performances as “The Fiddle Witch.” She was awarded a prestigious Fulbright grant to study at The Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland 2021-2022, where she researched Nordic folk music and folk music improvisation. Alyssa has studied nyckelharpa with many riksspellmän (master Swedish folk musicians), including at the year-long folk music course at the Eric Sahlström Institute.
Performer web page: alyssafiddle.com
Kray Van Kirk
Saturday May 16 2026
A fine finger-style guitarist with a precise baritone, Kray Van Kirk has a Ph.D. from the University of Alaska, but he set science aside to write songs, tell stories and summon heroes. “We are driven by myth and the seasons of the heart,” he says, “and the stories are all true. There is a dark cave inside each of us, and monsters of all kinds lurk there, all the more lethal for being hidden. The quest is to journey inside, render the monsters powerless, find whatever it is that burns at the core of your soul and bring it back into the light. In a world divided it is critical to write songs and tell stories that show absolutely everyone they get to be the hero. Nobody is left behind.” Of this charming, Quixotic, and decidedly eclectic performer, the Borderline Folk Club in New York wrote, “It is what every singer-songwriter should aspire to.”
Performer web page: krayvankirk.com