Carolyn Cruso, acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and composer, will perform in The Back Room of the Barton County Arts Center this Friday, at 7:30 p.m.

Seats are $10 and reservations may be made by calling 620-792-4221 or e-mailing bartonarts1@sbcglobal.net. Walk-ins are welcome the evening of the performance until the 40-seat capacity is reached.

Cruso has toured widely in both the United States and Europe, as well as producing eight CDs during that time. She is equally at home on hammered dulcimer, flute, guitar and vocals, and performs a diverse array of original tunes and songs as well as traditional material. Her instrumental compositions are mainly for the hammered dulcimer and are inspired by her strong connection to nature as well as her extensive travel and the cultures she’s encountered along the way. She says her unusual and lyrical approach to the dulcimer especially delights audiences and has even won over curmudgeons who swore they hated hammered dulcimer.

Most of her traditional material has been gleaned from her two and a half year sojourn in Europe with late partner Robert Almblade, whom she performed and wrote with for over a decade, as well as playing at Irish sessions around the United States. The material is largely Celtic and her involvement with that genre colors her original work.

Cruso’s 2009 recording, "Have You Ever," spans genres from folk to jazz to funk to pop while maintaining the focal point of her own "elegant and sophisticated" style. An early years retrospective project is scheduled to be released this year.

This program is presented in part by a grant from the Kansas Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided for The Arts in Barton County by the City of Great Bend and CPI Qualified Plan Consultants.