Nina Zanetti was the winner of the 2008 National Mountain Dulcimer Competition at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS. She comes to the mountain dulcimer from a diverse musical background, including choral music, violin, viola, piano, and shape note singing. As Nina expresses it:

I am especially fond of “the softer side” of dulcimer. I love the slow Celtic airs and quiet, meditative hymns; they bring a sense of serenity and peace. My favorite way of playing dulcimer is to fingerpick with bare fingers: the feel of the strings seems to draw me “into” the instrument and the music and brings me to a place of quiet tranquility.

Nina brings a singer's heart and sensibility to the dulcimer and the repertoire she chooses for it, and the result is music that moves audiences, including other dulcimists. Those attributes, together with her accomplishments and standing as a college professor, make her an inspirational teacher who effectively shares the joys and challenges of the instrument.

She plays regularly at churches, historic sites, and community events and has taught workshops at dulcimer festivals throughout the U.S. Her website is:

http://www.ninazanetti.com/

Visitors should check Nina's website for updated information on her performances, workshops, and other projects.

http://www.ninazanetti.com/schedule.html

Nina's newest CD is called "Winter's Light," which she describes as follows: "a gentle celebration of the quiet joys and consolations of the winter season. Selections include several well-known Christmas carols, as well as less familiar tunes, from a wide variety of traditions." A sample track is  on her website: http://www.ninazanetti.com/rorate.html

Nina's first solo CD, "Beside Still Waters," featured gentle finger-style arrangements plus a few surprises. Among reviewer comments are that her music is: "a delight for the senses"; "always expressive, technically flawless, and beautifully arranged" and "for the ages." 

Nina and Bill Collins earlier collaborated on a wonderful CD called "The Sum of the Parts," which was very well-received. It is distributed internationally through CD Baby here (including sound clips):

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/collinszanetti

Details, sound samples, and CD reviews can be found on Nina's website www.ninazanetti.com 

Nina has written or co-written several important tab/music books for mountain dulcimer, including the latest called "Heart's Ease: 35 Tunes from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque Periods."

All of Nina's musical product can be ordered through her website:

http://www.ninazanetti.com/products.html

We hope you enjoy the following video and pictures.