Folk Frenzy 2020: tutors announced!

Shetland Arts’ are delighted to announce the tutors for Folk Frenzy, its annual traditional music summer school, which runs from Monday 3 to Saturday 8 August 2020. Focusing on developing the musical relationship between participants, tutors and instruments to provide a collaborative and inspiring experience for everyone involved. This year marks the addition of singing to the Folk Frenzy programme, to compliment the popular fiddle and ensemble classes.

The summer intensive is again curated by Kevin Henderson, who is regarded as one of Shetland’s finest fiddle players and is in hot demand playing with some of the best known groups and musicians in the folk music scene. Since taking private lessons with renowned Shetland fiddlers Trevor Hunter and Willie Hunter, Kevin went on to be a co-founder of the award-winning Fiddlers’ Bid since 1991. In addition releasing critically acclaimed solo albums and touring with Mattias Pérez (guitar, mandala), he’s also been a member of Boys of the Lough since 2001, Session A9 since 2004 and co-founded the Nordic Fiddlers Bloc in 2009. In 2019, he started a new duo with highly regarded American pianist Neil Pearlman.

Effervescent and engaging, Boston-based fiddler Hanneke Cassel is a performer, teacher and composer whose career spans over two decades. Her style fuses influences from the Isle of Skye and Cape Breton Island with Americana grooves and musical innovations, creating a cutting-edge acoustic sound that retains the integrity and spirit of the Scottish tradition. A native of Port Orford, Oregon, Hanneke started out as a Texas-style fiddler and went on to win the U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship. This title awarded her the opportunity to study with Scottish fiddle master Alasdair Fraser and introduced her to fiddle camps and the folk community.

Siobhan Miller is a Scottish folk singer and songwriter. Hailing from Penicuik, Scotland, soulful and stirring renewal of traditional song has won her the 2018 BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Traditional Track, and BBC Alba Scots Singer of the Year an unprecedented three times. Siobhan was Artistic Director for the 2016 opening concert of Celtic Connections, frequently sung with and supported Eddi Reader, and even had a role in Season One of US/UK Drama ‘Outlander. In 2020, she releases her fourth solo album ‘All Is Not Forgotten’, which features many of her frequent collaborators including Kris Drever, Euan Bu White and Megan Henderson.

Andrew Gifford resides in Glasgow but has a strong Shetlandic heritage, learning the fiddle from both Willie Hunter and Margaret Robertson whilst at school. He joined Fiddlers' Bid at the age of 16, and has performed across the globe with 'da Bid' and other stomping bands such as The Chair. Teaching the fiddle to all levels has been a large part of his career, and he is regularly sought as a tutor throughout Scotland.

Returning as a tutor in 2020, Antti Järvelä is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger, and was one of the driving members of the well-known Finnish-Norwegian folk music group Frigg. He comes from a strong musical heritage and has toured and collaborated with many musicians over the years in duos and in groups. He is highly sought after for tutoring in the Finnish tradition.

Folk Frenzy takes place from Sunday 2nd of August to Saturday 8th 2020. A number of ticketing packages are available, and can be booked in person at Mareel or at the Shetland Arts outlet at Sumburgh Airport, by phone on 01595 745500, or online here.