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Blue Ridge Music CenterThe Blue Ridge Music Center, located in southwestern Virginia on the Blue Ridge Parkway is dedicated to honoring and celebrating the rich, living musical traditions of the Appalachian region. A National Park Service historic site, its interpretation will emphasize the blending of West African and European musical concepts and instrumentation (epitomized by the African banjo and European fiddle) in the Tidewater during the early Colonial period, and the movement to and “Americanization” of this music in the Blue Ridge region. It has been designated one of the seven “major venues” along “The Crooked Road: Virginia Heritage Music Trail.” After 20 years of planning, construction of the Blue Ridge Music Center was completed in 2005. The complex includes an outdoor amphitheater, a luthier’s shop, and a two-story Music Interterpretive Center housing an exhibition gallery for permanent displays, a 100-seat multi-purpose auditorium, a sales area, classroom, and offices. The Music Center is programmed and operated by the NCTA. Weekly concerts featuring traditional Appalachian music at the Center’s outdoor amphitheater are presented during the summer and fall months. |
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