Fiddle Week , June 29-July 5, 2025
For this program, coordinator Andrew Finn Magill has put together another amazing staff with expertise across an array of styles and rounded out with incredible guitar, upright bass, and cello instructors. For 2025, we have Darol Anger (bluegrass fiddle), Sarah Caswell (jazz and be-bop), Joe Craven (blues and improvisation), Katie Glassman (Texasstyle), Evan Price (swing), Haley Richardson (Irish), Natalya Weinstein (old-time and klezmer), Libby Weitnauer (old-time fiddle), Zoe Guigeno (upright bass), Greg Ruby (guitar and swing ensemble), and Duncan Wickel (cello). For this year’s Luthiers Exhibit, violin maker Joe Thrift and bow maker Sarah Bystrom Andal will be on hand all week for repairs and sales.
Since the invention of the violin, the music of its unschooled alter-ego, the fiddle, has excited people to dance, evoked the devil and the spiritual, echoed the human voice and heart. It is an instrument that has made its way into the core of many different traditions and it speaks a language understood worldwide.
Fiddle Week at the Swannanoa Gathering celebrates that universality with classes in traditional and contemporary styles from Ireland to Texas, from old-time to swing. Fiddle Week boasts some of the best fiddlers in the world from European traditions such as Irish and Klezmer, as well as some of the premier fiddlers from this side of the pond, teaching America’s diverse fiddling traditions from Texas Swing to old-time to bluegrass and beyond. Fiddle Week doesn’t just offer classes in genres, it offers classes using the fiddle as a form of self-expression with classes in improvisation and exploring your own creativity. The instructors for each topic are meticulously selected and among the best players and teachers in the world. To facilitate jamming, the week includes classes in guitar, focusing on accompaniment in various styles; and bass. For the classes with levels indicated, students are asked to place themselves in the appropriate level. Most classes are taught at the intermediate or advanced level. Intermediate classes are appropriate for advanced players who would like to explore a style that is new to them, or for experienced players who need to get more fluent playing by ear. The advanced classes are designed to build on previous experience in the style. During the last hour of the day, there will be a special class time for students of any skill level to form bands along with students from Mando & Banjo Week. With coaching from instructors, band members arrange tunes and rehearse with the option of performing at the student showcase on Friday evening.
Fiddle Week runs concurrently with Mando & Banjo Week and students may take classes in either program. Our Luthier’s Exhibit features mandolin builders who will be demonstrating their craft and will also have finished works on hand to sample.