Alasdair Fraser is recognized as one of the greatest carriers of the Scottish fiddle music tradition. His warmly expressive playing, mastery of his instrument and deep understanding of his native music as a venerable and continually evolving art is an inspiration to generations of musicians on both sides of the Atlantic.<\/p>\n
Alasdair found a love of and natural aptitude for the violin at age eight which he applied to the Scottish music that he heard at home. He later played with dance bands and began gathering the compositions of great fiddling forebears into a repertoire that is now vast.<\/p>\n
Sponsored by John & Marlene Knox, this concert showcases a fiddler equally capable of playing haunting Gaelic airs and rumbustious dance tunes and improvising endless variations on traditional themes. Two-time winner of the Scottish National Fiddle Championship and part of the acclaimed band Skyedance, Alasdair has also guested with legendary musicians The Chieftains, The Waterboys, Itzhak Perlman and Los Angeles Master Chorale, appeared on broadcasts including \u201cA Prairie Home Companion\u201d and CBS TV\u2019s Kennedy Center Honors and performed on film soundtracks including \u201cThe Last of the Mohicans\u201d and \u201cTitanic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alasdair passes on his passion and skills through programs such as the Valley of the Moon fiddle camp he founded in the Californian Redwoods in 1984, the fiddle course that he\u2019s run on the Isle of Skye since 1987, and the more recently established Sierra Fiddle Camp, near his home in California\u2019s Gold Country.<\/p>\n