Adrian Lever & Nic Zuppardi

Event information

Found mostly on stages and folk festivals around the country and beyond with an array of trios, both Nic and Adrian are rarely seen performing solo despite enjoying both its challenges and creative opportunities.
Although both Norfolkians, this concert brings them together for the first time in a double-bill celebrating all things stringed and fretted, featuring original songs and tunes alongside traditional music from Ireland/Scotland/England, America, Scandinavia and the Balkans on Guitar, mandolin, tambura, tenor guitar and banjo.


Adrian Lever - Guitar/ Bulgarian Tambura

Active as a guitarist and singer currently with contemporary folk trio Gavin Fairhall Lever, (“Ecstatic and adventurous music… razor-sharp composing and surefire musical virtuosity” FolkWales) Adrian has been touring the UK and Europe in various line-ups for the past 30 years with past collaborations including Norfolk-based Horses Brawl with fiddle/recorder composer Laura Cannell (‘Impossible to pigeonhole... a breath of fresh air’ THE TIMES **) and Alma, with leading English fiddle players John Dipper & Emily Askew (‘Magnificent’ The Living Tradition).

His interest in music from the Balkans led him on study trips to Plovdiv, Bulgaria learning the Tambura (lute) with master player Vladimir Vladimirov, and to a collaboration with Belgrade-born singer/composer Jovana Backović forming the duo Arhai, which in turn led to him relocating to Serbia. Adrian remains connected musically to Norwich with his ongoing piano work with The Voice Project, and Sian Croose’s ‘Harmonium’.

‘Lever’s guitar is a driving drum kit, the syncopated complex rhythm comping of a jazz pianist, a harp-like cascade, or just damn good fingerpicking.’
Adrian Jones - Cornwall Folk Festival

Nic Zuppardi - Mandolin / Banjo

Renowned for his expressive mandolin playing and inventive compositions, Nic Zuppardi has performed and taught professionally for over fifteen years. He is best known as one third of the acclaimed Shackleton Trio, with whom he has toured extensively across the UK and Europe. His playing features in a wide range of ensembles and recording projects, including with long-time musical partner Adam Clark as Clark & Zuppardi.
He has performed and recorded with artists including Karen Tweed, Dan Walsh, and Darius Rucker, with his playing featured on BBC Radio 2, 3 and 4. Nic is also in demand as a session musician, contributing mandolin to a wide range of recording projects.
In 2022, Nic released his debut solo album North Cape, a collection of original compositions featuring Alex Patterson (fiddle), Christina Alden (guitar), and Calum McKemmie (bass). With the mandolin at its heart, North Cape highlights Nic’s flair for crafting thoughtful, self-penned tunes and arrangements, blending bluegrass, old-time, Swedish, and French/Breton influences into a distinctive and compelling sound.
“seriously impressive…a mandolinist, multi-instrumentalist and tunesmith worthy of attention in his own right”
FolkWorld

“A master of the mandolin”
- Songlines