Intro to Traditional Irish Fiddle
- Fiddle
- In-Person Workshops
**THIS IS AN IN-PERSON WORKSHOP**
This workshop provides an introduction into the world of Irish Traditional Music. Whether you play fiddle or not, this is a great class for any Celtic music-appreciator looking to understand more about the music they love. We’ll learn about the different types of tunes that make up the Irish repertoire, ways to distinguish between them, stylistic techniques that are found within the style, and much more. The class will learn a reel and a jig by ear, as well as helpful practice tips and tricks for efficient mastery. For those more advanced, there will also be a Q&A at the end to ask those more-specific burning questions.
This 60 minute workshop will be held at 12:30pm on Sunday, January 19th.
Please note: The workshop will be held at The Passim School of Music which is located at 26 Church St. Cambridge, MA. Classrooms are located on the third floor and, unfortunately, we do not have an elevator.
Limited to 15 students (18 yrs of age or older); Pre-sales are highly encouraged! Online sale ends 2 hours before the workshop begins. Tickets can be purchased at the door before the workshop begins. 3 students are required for this workshop to meet. If a workshop is canceled due to low enrollment, you will be notified and receive a full refund.
Kate Knudsvig
Classical violinist and Irish fiddler Kate Knudsvig was born in Hof, Germany, and currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts, where she works as a freelance musician in and around the area. Formative years spent in a household with two classical brass-musician parents laid the foundation for her musical interests. This eventually led her to earning a BM in Violin Performance from the Eastman School of Music and an MM in Contemporary Musical Arts from the New England Conservatory.
While studying at Eastman with Federico Agostini and later with Juliana Athayde, Kate’s artistic trajectory took an unexpected turn as she found herself drawn to styles of music apart from classical. During this time she explored a number of different genres, taking three independent studies in jazz and jazz theory, playing with a bluegrass band, and co-founding the alternative-folk and singer-songwriter group, Copper Hill. This interest in non-classical styles led to her attendance at the New England Conservatory, where she fell in love with Irish traditional music and obtained a Master’s degree in Contemporary Musical Arts under the guidance of renowned Irish fiddler and educator, Liz Knowles. Amid her musical pursuits, Kate also earned a minor in Music Theory, a passion that emerged as a defining hallmark of her artistic identity.
Kate now divides her time between classical music and Irish traditional music, a combination that Boston’s vibrant musical scene lends itself to exceedingly well. In June of 2022, she represented the New England Conservatory in the International Benchmarking Group’s 21st Century Orchestra, which was comprised of students from eight of the top music schools in the world at the IBG’s conference at the Royal Northern Conservatory of Music. She has performed in Symphony Hall and New York’s Carnegie Hall with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, has been a guest artist and recorded with Palaver Strings, is the Principal 2nd Violinist for the Brockton Symphony Orchestra and can regularly be found at Irish sessions around Boston. A touring musician, Kate is the fiddle player in the PBS supergroup Celtic Thunder and also regularly performs with one of their lead singers, world-renowned Irish tenor Emmet Cahill.
Kate finds joy in a number of activities outside of playing music. She enjoys writing and composing, swing dancing, is an avid long-distance runner and hiker, and a passionate advocate for OCD awareness.
