Mawanga, Magill to Perform at MCTA Sept. 9
Aug 11, 2025 8:00 AM
Internationally acclaimed musicians Peter Mawanga and Andrew Finn Magill will perform an eclectic mix of Malawian music at Frostburg’s Mountain City Traditional Arts (MCTA) Tues., Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.
Mawanga is one of Malawi’s, located in east Africa, most preeminent musicians and cultural ambassadors. He has performed at Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Scotland and throughout the United States with his band The Amaravi Movement. Malawi is roughly the size of Pennsylvania wrapped around the third largest lake in Africa. With a rich history going back thousands of years, it is home to many languages, styles of music, landscapes and people.
In addition to being a musical legend in his own country, Mawanga is also a champion of social causes having founded many NGOs and serving on the boards of others focused on issues including the epidemic of street children in Malawi and child education. He has given presentations on Malawian music and its culture.
In this rare duo concert, Mawanga will be accompanied by his long-time collaborator Magill with whom he released the 2010 concept album for charity, Mau a Malawi: Stories of AIDS. Magill is an award-winning multi-genre fiddler/violinist and composer who has been featured on PBS, NPR and TEDx. He is a Fulbright fellow, North Carolina Arts Council fellow and 2024 finalist for the prestigious Seifert Competition for jazz violin in Krakow, Poland. He is also signed to Ropeadope Records on which he released three albums and tours the world as a bandleader and sideman in several genres.
Some of the artists with whom Magill has performed include Rising Appalachia, Peter Mawanga and Grammy-nominees John Doyle and Trio Brasileiro. He grew up studying various traditional genres at The Swannanoa Gathering, founded by his father in 1990. In 2005 Magill released his debut Drive & Lift, a collection of traditional and original Irish music, and has released twelve studio albums since.
Located at 25 E. Main Street, Frostburg, Mountain City Traditional Arts is a program of Frostburg State University and a founding member of Maryland’s Folklife Network. It receives support from the Maryland Traditions Program of the State Arts Council. For more information call 301-687-8040.