LEWISTON — World-class fiddler Lissa Schneckenburger will give a cabaret performance on Friday, Sept. 23, at the Franco-American Heritage Center.

As a winsome, sweet-voiced singer, Schneckenburger brings new life to old ballads. As a skillful, dynamic fiddler, she captures the driving rhythm and carefree joy of dance tunes, old and new.

Schneckenburger, who began playing fiddle at age 6, was inspired by her mother’s interest in folk music and a family friend who was a professional violinist. She studied with Maine fiddler Greg Boardman and sat in with the Maine Country Dance Orchestra. In high school, she played concerts on her own, specializing in New England dance tunes that combine influences from the British Isles and Quebec with homegrown twists that have evolved since Colonial days.

Both in concert and in the studio, she is regularly accompanied by acclaimed New England musicians, including guitarist Bethany Waickman and accordion player Jeremiah McLane. Waickman will accompany Schneckenburger on Sept. 23.

Her latest project is a pair of CDs dedicated to reintroducing songs and tunes from New England that she uncovered through archival research at the University of Maine and elsewhere. “Song,” released in April 2008, contains 10 timeless ballads that go back as far as the 18th century that she set to modern arrangements; “Dance,” released on Sept. 8, 2010, features fiddle tunes. For more information, visit lissafiddle.com/.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Franco center, 46 Cedar St. Tickets are $10.

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