EARLVILLE – Folk music is making an appearance at the Earlville Opera House in Earlville in the form of renowned folk artist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter, John McCutcheon. His performance is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 20 at EOH.

McCutcheon began writing and performing when he was 15 years old. Since then, his career and repertoire have grown in spades. He has 36 albums that he has released, six of which have been nominated for a Grammy. McCutcheon is known for his wide range of songs, his storytelling, and his ability to play a number of instruments, such as the fiddle, banjo, guitar, autoharp and jaw harp. He is also considered a master player of the hammered dulcimer.

“His eclectic catalog of ballads, historical songs, children’s songs, love songs, topical satire, fiddle and hammer dulcimer instruments, and even symphonic works are among the broadest in American folk music,” states his biography, “His songwriting has been hailed by critics around the world; his song “Christmas in the Trenches” is considered a classic and was recently named one of the “100 Essential Folk Songs.”

“He is an outstanding musician, renowned for virtuosity on a number of instruments,” said Patti Lockwood-Blais, Executive Director of EOH. “He is known for a breadth of talent.”

Lockwood-Blais said that she had seen McCutcheon perform previously at a National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee in which he was a feature storyteller.