EMILYN STAM
PROJECTS
The transatlantic musical partnership of Filippo Gambetta and Emilyn Stam is borne out of a shared sensibility that transcends their upbringings on opposite sides of the world. Both musicians are rooted in traditional dance music styles, yet each possesses insatiable musical curiosity and prolific imagination, qualities that keep their music dynamic, exploratory, and often undefinable. A native of Genoa in northwestern Italy, Filippo plays the organetto, the diatonic button accordion. Emilyn Stam is an inventive pianist, fiddler and composer who was raised in Smithers, Canada, and currently lives in Toronto. Filippo and Emilyn have toured both Europe and Canada together, having performed at festivals such as Kaustinen International Festival (Finland), Festival TousCouleurs (Italy), Vancouver Island MusicFest (Canada). Above all, Filippo and Emilyn bring a depth, creativity, and passion to their instrumental folk music that is inspiring to experience.
On September 12, 2018, they released their first duo album: Shorelines, with Borealis Records. "Shorelines" features compositions by Emilyn Stam and Filippo Gambetta both for listening and dancing traditional "Bal Folk" dances, traditional tunes from Italy, and composition by Oliver Schroer, performed on piano, violin, and diatonic accordion.
Emilyn Stam plays the fiddle, accordion, and piano. John David Williams plays the clarinet and harmonica. Together they play folk music from North America, West and Eastern Europe, old jazz, improvisations and their own compositions.
John and Emilyn met while playing in bands “Jaron Freeman-Fox and the Opposite of Everything” and the “Lemon Bucket Orkestra”. Their musical relationship started when they would find a quiet place after rehearsal or between sets and improvise strange and beautiful music together. Later they discovered a mutual love for danceable traditional tunes and songs. Their duo show is always alive and evolving and spans this wide range of musical interests.
Té was formed in 2011 in Tilburg, NL, while Emilyn was living in the Netherlands studying classical piano. A collaboration between Niek van Uden (accordion), Conny Essbach (clarinet), Sander van der Schaaf (guitar and percussion) and Emilyn Stam (5-string fiddle), this quartet writes all original music inspired by folk traditions of the Europe and Canada, always with the intention of dance. Now seen as one of the Netherlands' most popular Balfolk bands, Té has toured Poland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands and Canada, and has released their second album.