Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and Californian cellist Natalie Haas to appear at New Milton’s Forest Arts
World class musical partnership Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas will be at New Milton’s Forest Arts later this month.
The Scottish fiddle player and Californian cellist are set to perform the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy.
Over the past 20 years the duo has appeared at festivals and concert halls across the world, setting the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. They continue to delight audiences with their virtuosic playing, joyful spontaneity and physical presence of their music.
Fraser has a concert and recording career spanning more than 30 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, radio and television credits, and featured performances on movie soundtracks. In 2011, he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame.
Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School, is one of the most sought-after cellists in traditional music today. She has performed and recorded with many top fiddle players including Mark O’Connor, Natalie MacMaster, Irish super groups Solas and Altan, and many more.
Two decades ago, Fraser was intent on finding a cellist who could help return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music, where it stood for hundreds of years before being relegated to the orchestra.
The duo’s debut recording, Fire & Grace, won the coveted Scots Trad Music Album of the Year award – the Scottish equivalent of a Grammy.
Since its release, the two have gone on to record five more critically acclaimed albums which blend a profound understanding of the Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations. In additional to performing, they both have motivated generations of string players through their teaching at fiddle camps across the globe.
Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas will appear at Forest Arts on Wednesday 22nd May at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £17 in advance. To book visit https://www.forest-arts.co.uk or call the box office on 01425 612393.