"Alasdair Fraser is recognized throughout the world as one of the finest fiddle players Scotland has ever produced; [his] name is synonymous with the vibrant cultural renaissance which is transforming the Scottish musical scene.” —Scots Magazine

Come on over for a rousing evening of fiddle magic steeped in talent and tradition: the 24th annual Freight Fiddle Summit. You'll be in excellent company with host Alasdair Fraser, Brazilian fiddler Claudio Rabeca, and the exuberant Brittany Haas—as they bow, strum, sing, and pluck up a storm tonight.

One of Scotland's leading tradition-bearers, Fiddle Summit host Alasdair Fraser's richly expressive playing transports listeners across a broad musical landscape including haunting laments drawn from the Gaelic tradition, classically styled airs, and raucous dance tunes, all delivered with sincerity, flawless virtuosity, and the sweetest of sounds. The variety and expressivity of Alasdair’s playing is evident in his numerous recordings—from intimate fiddle/guitar duets, to a more contemporary interpretation of tradition, to high energy original tunes with his Skyedance band. His recent recordings include Fire and Grace, the Scots Trad Album of the Year for 2004, and last year’s In the Moment, which the Boston Globe called “as urbane as a Manhattan midnight and as wild as a Clackmannan winter.”

Singer, songwriter, and director since 2005 of the Olinda Quartet, Claudio Rabeca is a master of the instrument that shares his name. The rabeca is a fiddle from the Pernambuco region of northeast Brazil, where Claudio has been a leading force on the music scene since 1999. He sings and plays rabeca, 10-string viola, and guitar. In 2009 he recorded his first solo album, Light Baião. In 2011 he produced the double album, Rabequeiros of Pernambuco, featuring 24 rabequeiros from the region, with interpretations and unpublished photos. This year he will tour five cities in Brazil with special guests in each city.

Brittany Haas is a five string fiddle player from Northern California currently residing in Boston. A member of the Boston-based alternative bluegrass band Crooked Still and an all-girl indie old-time band called The Fundies, she has toured the world with groups such as Darol Anger's Republic of Strings, Yonder Mountain String Band, Tony Trischka, Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, and The Waybacks. She played fiddle on Steve Martin's Grammy Award-winning CD, The Crow, and performed in his band on national TV. In 2004 she released her debut self-titled solo album, produced by Darol Anger. Recent projects include a soon-to-be-released album with hardanger fiddler and composer Dan Trueman, featuring their original music.

Visit Alasdair Fraser's website

Visit Claudio Rabeca's website

Visit Brittany Haas's website

Listen to a track from Alasdair Fraser:

Listen to a track from Brittany Haas:

Alasdair Fraser photo by Marc Marnie