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Sedra Bistodeau | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994 (age 28–29) Princeton, Minnesota |
| Genres | Classical, Bluegrass, Country |
| Occupation(s) | soloist, performer |
| Instrument(s) | Violin, fiddle |
Sedra Bistodeau (born 1994) is an American fiddler and violinist from Princeton, Minnesota. [1]
Sedra Bistodeau began playing the violin at age three, studying with teachers such as Margaret Haviland and Mary West at the MacPhail Center for Music in Princeton, Minnesota. She studied with Sally O'Reilly, Professor of Violin at the University of Minnesota until graduating high school and currently studies with Bettina Mussumeli at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She received the Mary West Violin Scholarship four years consecutively, then at age 10 won the honor to perform Max Bruch's Violin Concerto in G minor (3rd Movement) as a soloist with the Little Falls Heartland Symphony. She won the top prize in the junior division of the Minnesota Sinfonia Competition, allowing her to solo with the Minnesota Sinfonia Orchestra in 2008 under the direction of Jay Fishman. In 2009, Bistodeau won the MNSOTA Mary West Solo Competition and performed solo (Sibelius Violin Concerto) with the Bloomington Orchestra. The following year, she won the MacPhail Civic Concerto Competition (and another solo performance with the Civic Orchestra) and earned first-place finishes in the Schubert Club Scholarship and the Minnesota Youth Symphony's Essay Scholarship. In 2011, Bistodeau won first place in the Thursday Musical Scholarships and was the Grand Prize winner in the Saint Cloud Symphony Concerto Competition, soloing with the Saint Cloud Symphony (Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No. 4). In 2012, Sedra competed and won the YPSCA competition in Minneapolis, MN. As a result of winning, she won the opportunity to perform with the Minnesota Orchestra, which happened in February/March 2014.
She played the third movement of Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47. In addition to her focus on classical music, Bistodeau has spent an equal number of years on the violin art of fiddling. She has found much success in this area as well, through competitions and special guest appearances. She appears in the TV documentary The Devil's Box, completed a recording with Peter Ostroushko. Currently recognized as one of the top ten fiddlers in the United States, Bistodeau has accumulated many awards including two first-place finishes in the Junior Junior division at the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest and a first place at the coveted “Gone to Texas” division at the Fiddlers' Frolics in Hallettsville, Texas. She was the first female to ever win this division and the youngest competitor to win this division as well at the age of 13. She's also acquired three top finishes at the Wisconsin State Championship. In 2010, Sedra Bistodeau placed fourth in the Open division of the National Oldtime Fiddle Contest. In 2011, Sedra placed 2nd in the Grand National division at the National Fiddle Contest, and again in 2013. She has also been involved in the Western Open Fiddle Contest in Redding, California for the previous four years. After taking a year off from competing at the Weiser National Championships, she was asked to judge the national champions in the summer of 2016. She is officially a certified national judge. In the 2005 American Heritage Music Festival's Grand Lake National Fiddle Fest, she placed first in the "Jr. Jr. Division", took first (with her sister) in the Twin Fiddle Contest, and with her family's band, took first in the Jukebox Contest. [2] In 2009, at the age of 14, Bistodeau took first place in the Minnesota State Fair Talent Contest with a performance of Hungarian Rhapsody#2. [3] In 2010, at the premiere old-time fiddling event, [4] the National Old-Time Fiddlers Contest held annually in Weiser, Idaho, Sedra took first place with Alex DePue in the Twin Fiddling (duet) division. [5] Bistodeau formerly studied classical violin under the direction of professor Sally O'Reilly of the University of Minnesota, and is a friend of conductor and musician Peter Ostroushko. [1] Bistodeau was credited as a player—and named in a song title—on Ostroushko's 2010 album When the Last Morning Glory Blooms. [6] She has also performed for several years with Minnesota Youth Symphonies. [7] Bistodeau appeared as a guest performer on several episodes of A Prairie Home Companion, performing with her sister Deana Bistodeau, who is also a fiddler. [8] [9]
A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, the style of the music played may determine specific construction differences between fiddles and classical violins. For example, fiddles may optionally be set up with a bridge with a flatter arch to reduce the range of bow-arm motion needed for techniques such as the double shuffle, a form of bariolage involving rapid alternation between pairs of adjacent strings. To produce a "brighter" tone than the deep tones of gut or synthetic core strings, fiddlers often use steel strings. The fiddle is part of many traditional (folk) styles, which are typically aural traditions—taught "by ear" rather than via written music.
Weiser is a city in the rural western part of the U.S. state of Idaho and the county seat of Washington County. With its mild climate, the city supports farm, orchard, and livestock endeavors in the vicinity. The city sits at the confluence of the Weiser River with the great Snake River, which marks the border with Oregon. The population was 5,507 at the 2010 census.
Idaho has produced a number of musicians and bands, including Paul Revere & the Raiders, Built to Spill, Treepeople, and Caustic Resin. Rosalie Sorrels is a renowned folk singer born in Boise. Minimalist composer La Monte Young was born in Bern. Jazz double bassist Gary Peacock was born in Burley. Nikki Sixx grew up in Jerome. Moscow, Idaho is the home town of modern folk/country/indie songwriter Josh Ritter.
Mark O'Connor is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards and, was a member of three influential musical ensembles; the David Grisman Quintet, The Dregs, and Strength in Numbers.
April Verch is a Canadian fiddler, singer, and step dancer raised in the community of Rankin, Ontario, located approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southwest from Pembroke, Ontario. The youngest daughter of Ralph and Muriel Verch, April began step dancing at age three with her first step dance teachers, Buster and Pauline Brown, and began learning fiddle at age six from Pembroke fiddler Rob Dagenais, shortly after receiving her first violin as a birthday present. Throughout her childhood, April played both old time fiddle and classical violin, having competed and having won awards at fiddle contests inside and outside Ontario, as well as regularly performing with the Deep River Symphony Orchestra over that period. She also competed and won numerous awards for her step dancing in that time frame as well.
Benny Thomasson was an American fiddler in the Texas style of fiddling.
The Quebe Sisters are an American swing revival band based in Dallas, Texas, who perform a mix of progressive western swing, jazz-influenced swing, country, Texas-style fiddling, and western music. The band consists of sisters Grace, Sophia, and Hulda Quebe, all of whom play the fiddle and sing, with supporting musicians accompanying on guitar, upright bass, or other instruments.
The National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest is an old-time music competition, festival, and musical gathering in the western United States, held annually during the third full week in June in Weiser, Idaho, about fifty miles (80 km) northwest of Boise. Within the fiddling community, it is often referred to simply as "Weiser"; the contest draws musicians from across the country. Nearly 7,000 attend for the week and almost 350 fiddlers compete in eight divisions. In addition to the contest there are workshops, performances, a battle of the bands, a parade and a carnival. The contest is held at Weiser High School: the competition is held in the gymnasium, and most of the contestants camp in the school's sports fields.
Ruby Jane Smith is an American fiddle player, singer, and songwriter in the traditional bluegrass and Americana music genres. The youngest fiddler invited to play the Grand Ole Opry, Smith has toured and recorded with Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson, Drake Bell, and Willie Nelson, and has performed on Austin City Limits.
Blaine Stubblefield was the founder of the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest held annually in Weiser, Idaho, an archiver of American folk songs, the originator of regular passenger boat tours down the Hells Canyon of the Snake River, a writer, and a magazine editor.
American fiddle-playing began with the early settlers who found that the small viol family instruments were portable and rugged. According to Ron Yule, "John Utie, a 1620 immigrant, settled in the North and is credited as being the first known fiddler on American soil". Early influences were Irish fiddle styles as well as Scottish and the more refined traditions of classical violin playing. Popular tunes included "Soldier's Joy", for which Robert Burns had written lyrics, and other such tunes as "Flowers of Edinburgh" and "Tamlin," which were claimed by both Scottish and Irish lineages.
Old time fiddle is a genre of American folk music. "Old time fiddle tunes" derived from European folk dance tunes such as Jig, Reel, Breakdown, Schottische, Waltz, Two Step and Polka. The fiddle may be accompanied by banjo or other instruments but are nevertheless called "fiddle tunes". The genre traces from the colonization of North America by immigrants from England, France, Germany, Ireland, and Scotland. It is separate and distinct from traditions which it has influenced or which may in part have evolved from it, such as bluegrass, country blues, variants of western swing and country rock.
Canadian fiddle is the aggregate body of tunes, styles and musicians engaging the traditional folk music of Canada on the fiddle. It is an integral extension of the Anglo-Celtic and Québécois French folk music tradition but has distinct features found only in the Western hemisphere.
Bluegrass fiddling is a distinctive style of American fiddle playing which is characterized by bold, bluesy improvisation, off-beat "chopping", and sophisticated use of both double-stops and old-time bowing patterns.
Quebec fiddle is a part of the Old time fiddle canon and is influential in New England and Northwest fiddle styles.
Scott Woods is a Canadian Grand Master fiddling champion and band leader based in Ontario. He is known for his travelling variety fiddling show.
Billy Contreras is an American jazz violinist and bluegrass fiddler, multi-instrumentalist, session player and educator.
Laura Weber White, also known as Laura White, Laura Weber, Laura Cash, and Laura Weber Cash is an American country fiddler, singer, songwriter, and guitar player. White has worked as a session musician on many albums and toured with several artists, including the late Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. She has released two solo albums: Among My Souvenirs in 2003 and Awake But Dreaming in 2010. Both were recorded at the Cash Cabin Studio. White became known as a fine stage fiddler after winning both state and National Fiddler contests in Oregon and Idaho. She is an artist on 16 Cash family albums from 2003 to 2014.
Vivian Tomlinson Williams was an American fiddler, composer, recording artist, and writer. She won national fiddling titles, including the National Oldtime Fiddlers Contest, and in 2013 she was inducted into the North American Old Time Fiddlers Hall of Fame.
The Maritime Fiddle Festival is the longest running old-time fiddle contest in Canada.
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