US American violinist and mandolinist, born August 12, 1953 in Minnesota, died February 24th, 2021. Growing up in the Ukrainian community of northeast Minneapolis, the mandolin, balalaika and bandura tunes played by his father and family friends at get-togethers in their home and in church started him on mandolin. He was a regular on violin, mandolin and guitar for many years in the house band of Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion radio show.
He suffered a stroke in January 2018 and has been unable to perform since then.