The Oswego Music Hall presents Shawna Caspi and Rachael Kilgour as part of its Women in Music Series on Saturday, March 23. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the McCrobie Civic Center, 41 Lake St., Oswego.

“I’m excited to be kicking off the first year of our new Women in Music Series during Women’s History Month,” said Oswego Music Hall Artistic Director Tom Lambert. “We’re featuring two talented Canadian singer songwriters who put on incredible performances at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference last November.”

Toronto-based musician Shawna Caspi takes her time crafting poetic and meaningful lyrics, often using unusual rhymes and surprising turns of phrase. Her warm, clear voice is supported with intricate fingerstyle guitar accompaniment. Caspi spent years on the road playing solo shows at festivals and concert halls and in train cars, backyards and living rooms, drawing energy from shifting landscapes and long drives through Canada and the U.S.

After taking a break from the road to rest, reflect and write, Caspi returns with her fifth album, “Hurricane Coming,” which was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Album of the Year and an Ontario Folk Music Award for Album of the Year. To learn more, visit https://shawnacaspi.com/.

Rachael Kilgour is a Canadian American performing artist who’s plain-spoken, lyric-driven work and intimate performances have endeared her to listeners and fellow artists alike. The 2015 grand prize winner of the international NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition and winner of the 2017 Kerrville New Folk Contest, Kilgour has been featured at The Lincoln Center in New York City, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and at the Sundance Film Festival.

Her exquisite fourth full-length collection, “My Father Loved Me,” is a tribute to her late father, produced by JUNO Award-winning songwriter Rose Cousins. In the spare, often gutting language she is known for, Kilgour gives us a complex portrait of a man as seen through his daughter’s eyes. With unwavering acuity, she poses questions about identity, inheritance and grief, and affirms the value of one ordinary working man’s life in an often indifferent world. Visit https://rachaelkilgour.com/ for more information.

Prior to the concert, the public is invited to the Annual Member Meeting which begins at 4:30 p.m. Go to https://www.oswegomusichall.org/ for details.

The spring season continues with Big Sky Quartet on April 13, Livingston Taylor on April 27 and Sam Robbins in the season finale on May 11. 

Ticket prices range from $16 to $19. Admission is half-price for children aged 6 to 16 and free for those aged 5 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at any concert, online at www.oswegomusichall.org or at the river’s end bookstore, 19 W. Bridge St., Oswego. The community is encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time to ensure seating.

Oswego Music Hall shows start at 7:30 p.m. and doors open at 7 p.m. Located in the McCrobie Civic Center, 41 Lake St., Oswego, the venue is wheelchair accessible. The building is adjacent to Breitbeck Park and overlooks Lake Ontario and Oswego Harbor. The atmosphere is intimate with candle-lit tables surrounding a small stage. Light refreshments will be available.  

For performance schedules, ticket details or other information about the Oswego Music Hall, go to www.oswegomusichall.org, email ocpaoswego@gmail.com, or find it online on Facebook and Instagram.

The Oswego Music Hall is a family-friendly, non-profit organization that has been run entirely by volunteers from its inception over 40 years ago. Volunteers can earn admission to shows through various tasks, from running the sound board to making popcorn. Students can also earn credit for community service. To volunteer, email Volunteer Coordinator Michael Moss at ocpaoswego@gmail.com.

Oswego Music Hall concerts are made possible in part with funding by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the governor and New York Legislature. Other major supporters are the City of Oswego and Shineman Foundation. 

CELEBRATE WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH AT OSWEGO MUSIC HALL – The Oswego Music Hall welcomes Shawna Caspi and Rachael Kilgour on Saturday, March 23 as part of its Women in Music Series. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the McCrobie Civic Center, 41 Lake St., Oswego. Pictured is Caspi at a past performance. Photo by Terence Gui.

CASPI AND KILGOUR TAKE THE MAIN STAGE – Shawna Caspi and Rachael Kilgour perform at the Oswego Music Hall on Saturday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $16 to $19 and can be purchased at any concert, online at www.oswegomusichall.org or at the river’s end bookstore, 19 W. Bridge St., Oswego. Pictured is Kilgour. Photo by Kara Dupre.