Fiddle Tutors
Tutors’ Concert
On the Saturday evening, there will be an intimate Tutors’ Concert that, as a Weekend Participant, you’ll gain special access. A limited number of tickets will be made available to the general public. So if you’ve friends and family that you’d like to bring along, they’ll be able to purchase tickets here, when they’re on sale.
JENNA REID
Award-winning Shetland fiddler Jenna Reid will guide you through the magical music from the Islands. Jenna’s fiddling began at a young age alongside her brother and sister, under the tuition of the late Willie Hunter. Jenna graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dance in Glasgow with a BA degree in Scottish Traditional Music where she also sang and played the piano accordion and piano. Jenna has a vast musical portfolio, from her 3 solo albums to her work with Blazin’ Fiddles and RANT. Journalist Rob Adams perfectly summed up Jenna’s musicianship, “As a working musicality, Reid’s superb musicality and absolute command of melody have been heard in groups including Blazin’ Fiddle and Deaf Shepherd, and she’s also one quarter of the marvellous chamber fiddle group RANT.” Winning Composer of the Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards in 2019, we are overjoyed to welcome Jenna to the Land o’ Burns Fiddle Weekend this year and you can feel confident you’ll gain a lot from her workshops.
GORDON GUNN
Described as “one of the most exciting and innovative fiddle players of the times”, Gordon Gunn will be returning once again to the Land o’ Burns Fiddle Weekend 2020 and we cannot WAIT! Gordon is a founding member of Scottish group Session A9, who were voted best live act at the 2012 Scots Trad Music Awards. Whilst working with Session A9, Gordon also tours with Session A9‘s Brian McAlpine on keyboards and include a variety of musicians including Marc Clement and Phil Anderson on guitar and vocals. Gordon is also a respected fiddle tutor, composer, session musician and producer.
His compositions have been recorded by many artistes including Session A9, Ingrid Henderson, American fiddler Rodney Miller, “McGregor, Brechin & O’Headra” and harpist Rachel Hair to name but a few. Last year, our Fiddle Weekend participants loved Gordon’s humorous and patient approach to teaching, so we are very happy that he’ll be making a return in September 2020.
MARIE FIELDING
Marie Fielding is a highly experienced fiddler, composer and performer and lectures at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, specialising in Fiddle and Performance. In 2019, Marie published her 3rd book of Original Compositions and in March this year, The Spectrum Project, a solo album featuring mostly own compositions, will be launched at The Niel Gow Festival Society. Marie has a holistic approach to her teaching, focusing on “the individual”, style, musicianship, bowing patterns, ornamentation, “telling a story “through the tune, tone, energy, expression and so on.
Marie is involved in some of the top bands across Scotland and is a regular adjudicator at Festivals as well as Mentoring Trad Musicians. A finalist for Album and Composer of The Year at Na Trads, Teaching Champion for Falkirk Council and many awards for compositions, Marie is also passionate about passing on the Tradition to the younger generation. We’re delighted to have Marie join us for this year’s Fiddle Weekend and are positive you’ll gain much value from her workshops.
ALISTAIR MCCULLOCH
Alistair McCulloch hails from Ayr and is one of the country’s best-known fiddle performers, teachers and composers with many appearances on radio and television. During the Fiddle Weekend, Alistair will look at interpreting pipe tunes on the fiddle, including embellishments, as well as featuring a couple of his own compositions. He will also cover techniques to improve slow airs. Past winner of many fiddle championships, Alistair is fiddle instructor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and has tutored many of the new generation of rising stars. The Alistair McCulloch Trio featuring Aaron Jones of Old Blind Dogs, and former Capercaillie whistle wizard Marc Duff, regularly tours. Alistair is also a long-standing member of the well-known ceilidh band Coila and the Iain Cathcart Scottish Dance Band. To date Alistair has performed in over twenty countries, including Australia, New Zealand, China, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, the Middle East and throughout Europe and North America. Described as “one of the finest fiddlers and composers of his generation”, we are thrilled to have Alistair return for the Fiddle Weekend.
PREVIOUS TUTORS
Rua MacMillan
Originally from Nairn, in the Scottish Highlands, fiddler Rua Macmillan is quickly making a name for himself in the world of Scottish traditional music. Having graduated with a B.A. (Honours) in Scottish Music from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2008, he has already toured extensively throughout Europe and the US. In 2009, Rua was awarded the prestigious title of BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year. The following summer he performed at Cambridge Folk Festival, the UK’s biggest folk festival. Rua was also a founding member of the Paul McKenna Band, who were voted ‘Best Up and Coming Act’ in the 2009 MG Alba Trad. Music Awards.
His playing is described by Songlines as leaving you “breathless and eager for more.” Fiddle Weekend participants gained a wealth of value from the Blazin’ Fiddles’ member’s workshops throughout the weekend.
Kevin Henderson
Kevin Henderson is a fiddler who draws on the rich fiddle music tradition of his native Shetland. Kevin has an adventurous and individual musical style that he demonstrates throughout his vast music portfolio: Boys of the Lough, Fiddlers Bid, Session A9, Shetland/Norwegian trio Aamos and Nordic Fiddlers Bloc.
Since moving to Norway, while maintaining links with the Boys, the Bid and Session A9, one of Scotland’s finest fiddle ensembles, Kevin has put his heart and soul into Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, a meeting of three very distinctive musical styles where simplicity and directness are key. Their blend of Norwegian, Swedish and Shetland accents and their command of varying tones and voicings have led to ecstatic receptions on both sides of the North Sea and across the Atlantic.
When not touring, performing and recording Kevin enjoys passing on his fiddle skills through fiddle camps, including the Land o’ Burns Fiddle Weekend 2019.
