Spero, Omar Ruiz-Lopez and Lyle de Vitry play live

A second installment of In The Round – another clutch of musicians will gather for an evening of songs, stories, and masterful musicianship Down County Social Club. Each artist brings a unique voice to the table — Spero’s vital neo-soul and percussive self, Ruiz-Lopez’s genre-spanning virtuosity, and de Vitry’s haunting baroque folk—blending tradition with innovation in a rare, in-the-round performance. Expect a night of spellbinding storytelling, intricate instrumentals, and deep musical connection.

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Spero is a musician, teaching artist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She is a proud blend of blood and cultural heritages with roots spanning from Cleveland, Italy, the 9th ward in New Orleans, the Choctaw people of the Mississippi Delta to the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i where she was raised. Her travels to West Africa sparked a lifetime-long love of rhythm which deeply influences her musical style.

Blending tradition with soulful, ethereal melodies, she weaves luscious harmonies with finger-style guitar, creating a rich, contemplative atmosphere sure to move you to places of deeper feeling. She shares her love of music and movement via workshops for children and adults of all ages, travelling to schools, nonprofits, farms and various community gatherings across the Northeast and beyond.

Omar Ruiz-Lopez, a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and educator, has been a cornerstone of the NC Triangle music scene for over a decade. His expressive violin, viola, guitar, and mandolin work have led him to collaborations with GRAMMY-nominated The War and Treaty, Lizzie No, and Langhorne Slim, as well as co-writing with Rachel Baiman and GRAMMY-winner Melody Walker. Fresh from a two-year stint in Nashville, he is currently recording a full-length album with Rachel Baiman producing and an EP with Wila Frank (Paper Wings).

Lyle de Vitry’s music moves like the natural world—ebbing between harmony and tension, voice and instrumentation, comfort and catharsis.

An acclaimed songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, he was a 2023 Telluride Troubadour finalist and runner-up in the NewSong LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition. His compositions carry an ethereal, slow-burn intensity, invoking mystery and emotional depth. Recently completing the Residency at 821 (Lamplight AVL), de Vitry is now recording an instrumental album while his debut Door Within a Dream continues to resonate with listeners.