The former Iron Curtain's loss was the United States' musical gain when Radim Zenkl defected in 1989. The young Czechoslovakian has since settled in the Bay Area of California. In a few short years he has made a name for himself becoming the U. S. National Mandolin Champion and one of the world's premier mandolin virtuosos.

Radim's performance offers his original music which crosses the tracks of string jazz, new age, bluegrass, flamenco, gypsy, Irish, middle Eastern and classical music, combined with Czech and Eastern European traditional songs and instrumentals. Besides the mandolin Radim also uses mandola, Irish bouzouki and ukulele. Radim has extended the technical possibilities of the mandolin by inventing new styles of playing which sometimes allow him to sound like two instruments simultaneously. 

His show features also several traditional woodwind instruments from his native Czech Republic and Slovakia - 6 feet tall fujara, koncovka (a whistle with no holes), dvojacka (double flute) and even an Australian didgeridoo.

Radim began his musical career with piano, singing, later on classical guitar and finally mandolin. He discovered bluegrass music by listening to records that were smuggled in via those that escaped from his communist country. The sound of a bluegrass mandolin initiated the spark that subsequently led Radim beyond bluegrass to an eclectic array of styles. When his father (classical musician and theoretician) told him, that mandolin does not really have a serious repertoire, Radim decided to write his own music. He played in and led several bluegrass and jazz bands while in Czechoslovakia. "Our band played original music, however we were only allowed to play instrumental music on the radio because the government was afraid that we might be sending anti-communist messages out through the song lyrics" Radim says.

His passion for freedom and western music ran so deep that Radim escaped from Czechoslovakia four months before the fall of communism. Once in America, after only a short period of time, Radim was invited to perform at major music festivals and to share show with artists such as Jerry Garcia/David Grisman, Tuck & Patti, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, David Grisman Quintet, Peter Rowan, David Lindley, Tim O'Brien, John McCutcheon, Dan Hicks and many others.

Radim has released eight CDs, the latest one is called "Troubadour Tour". It features Celtic and medieval pieces along with his originals.

Radim's dynamic performance appeals to cross-cultural and inter-generational audiences. The music is enhanced by his warm, charming and witty communication with the audience as a segue between songs.

Tickets $15.00