Edmond Life and Leisure - October 13, 2022

New stage to honor Kyle Dillingham

Dedication is this Friday

From the stage of the Grand Ole Opry to Bangkok’s Patravadi Theatre, Oklahoma Ambassador of Goodwill, Kyle Dillingham, has energized audiences in over 40 countries and now he will be celebrating the grand opening of his own stage in downtown Edmond, Friday, October 14th. The festivities at the new Kyle Dillingham Community Arts Stage, located at 15 W. Campbell (behind Silver Leaf Gems), will kick off with an official ribbon cutting at 7:00pm followed by a performance by the award-winning artist and other guest artists.

The focal point of the outdoor venue is the whimsical mural, created by the artists of Thunderdome Tattoos, which features a frog in a straw hat strumming a banjo amongst the lily pads with a tornado in the background.

“It’s an intimate space with almost no line between audience and stage,” Dillingham said. “But I just love how you can still get lost in the space where the mural meets the surrounding nature.”

Craig Brudzinski, the brainchild of this new creative space, envisioned the vacant lot next to his workshop as a place for the community to come together.

“I was visualizing a place where people could gather and experience the vast talent here in Edmond,” said Brudzinski. “Kyle has connected people around the world, so it was a perfect fit to honor him with this stage to connect everyone in our community. This new venue will be available to artists and arts organizations free of charge.”

“The arts are such powerful tools that so naturally bring us all together,” Dillingham said. “I can’t wait to watch the magic unfold at the new Kyle Dillingham Community Arts Stage - a truly enchanting setting where all are welcome and where hopefully many can come for inspiration and encouragement. The arts can change everything, and it only takes a little!”

The grand opening event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited so bring your lawn chairs. For information, contact Stephanie Brudzinski, 405- 808-8804.

About Kyle Dillingham:

History was made in 2019 at the Grand Ole Opry with an unprecedented debut performance by Kyle Dillingham on a Dolly Parton skateboard.

“Kyle Dillingham has made Opry history. His debut tonight, and the first ever to enter and exit on a skateboard. It is my thought that the fiddler blew the roof off the Grand

Kyle Dillingham

Ole Opry house tonight!” -Bill Cody, Grand Ole Opry Announcer/Host “Proud of you brother...you play violin/fiddle with more passion than anyone in history...and the skateboard? Wow!!!” -The Oak Ridge Boys “I’ve never seen anything like this before!” -Roy Clark. “Ken Burns and I travel all over the United States. After hearing your performance, we turned to each other and hearing your performance, we turned to each other and agreed that we had witnessed something amazing.” -Paula Kerger, President of PBS.

“Hell of a musician, that’s for sure.” -Charley Pride.

Dillingham, an Oklahoma native, picked up the violin when he was nine, and eight years later, he gave two featured performances at the Grand Ole Opry.

Presented by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Dillingham was awarded with the prestigious honor of Oklahoma Ambassador of Goodwill in 2020. Previously honored Ambassadors of Goodwill include Toby Keith, Kristin Chenoweth, Roger Miller, Reba McEntire, Jimmy Webb, and Hank Thompson, to name a few.

Dillingham is also the winner of the 2020 and 2011 International Acoustic Music Awards and the 2021 and 2022 Indie Music Channel Awards.

He and his band, Horseshoe Road, participated in the 2018-2019 American Music Abroad season, organized by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and The Association of American Voices, with a tour through Kosovo and Kuwait.

That same year, they completed their third Silk Road and the Fiddle Tour through China representing Oklahoma and the United States with a musical celebration of cultural relations and performances.

In 2018, they were one of the featured performers at the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellows Concert in Washington, DC, to honor their good friend and Fellow recipient, Manuel Cuevas. Cuevas has been attributed as being the man who put Johnny Cash in black.

“We were also selected for a coveted performance at the 2018 CMA Fest in Nashville, which was another highlight of our career”, Dillingham said. “After our performance, we had the chance to play for Charley Pride in his dressing room at the Grand Ole Opry and hang out with Blake Shelton and others backstage! What an incredible experience.”

Also that year, they opened for

Grammy Award-winner, Lee Greenwood, at the renowned Neewollah Festival in Independence, Kansas.

Their 2008 Thailand tour commemorated the 175th anniversary of relations between the U.S. and the Kingdom of Thailand, and their 2013 tour of Korea celebrated the 60th anniversary of Partnership and Shared Prosperity between Korea and the U.S.

Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road have also taken the stage with The Charlie Daniels Band, The Oak Ridge Boys, Roy Clark, Hank Thompson, Lisa Ling, Vince Gill, Jimmy Webb, Toby Keith, Hanson, Leona Mitchell and Thailand’s Pop Superstar, Tik Shiro, and have performed with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, China’s Lanzhou Symphony Orchestra and the Amici Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Honored by Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, Dillingham was selected as a recipient of the 2009 Governor’s Arts Award, acknowledging his life’s work as a violinist, vocalist, musical ambassador for the state of Oklahoma and for his gift to connect with people throughout the world.

Dillingham is now managed by legendary impresario, Jim Halsey, who has guided the careers of many great performers including Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Clint Black, James Brown and many others.

He has performed for the King of Malaysia, the Princess of Thailand, Beijing Central Conservatory (broadcast on Chinese national television) and Singapore’s National Day Celebration. Dillingham has also performed for many government leaders including the Japanese, Thai and Saudi Arabian Ambassadors as well as for many US Ambassadors while abroad.

Dillingham has also championed the commissions and performed the premieres of eight new works for solo violin and symphony orchestra - collaborating with many orchestras worldwide.

For more information about Kyle Dillingham, visit his website or follow him on social media.