Two Canadian fiddle ensembles and Juno award-winning artist Ivonne Hernandez will perform together at the Dave Dunnet Community Theatre June 3. In celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary, the “Fiddles Across the Rockies” concert combines the best young fiddle talent from Calgary and Victoria: The Calgary Fiddlers and Coastline.
Coastline Musical Director Ivonne Hernandez has played fiddle since three years old and competed since four. She first joined the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra and formed Fiddlemania with her younger sister Kalissa at 13 years old, and was two-time Champion at the Merritt Old Time Fiddlers’ Provincial Championships before becoming a judge at 15. Since then, Hernandez has gone on to perform with Mark O’Connor, Alan Jackson, Gloria Estefan, Jann Arden, U2’s the Edge, Natalie MacMaster, Earth Wind and Fire, Steve Winwood, Burt Bacharach, Juan Louis Guerra, Rosa Pasos, Ben Hepner and Howard Shore. She has played at international folk and fiddle festivals and for the Governor General of Canada.
Hernandez was in the process of returning to Canada after living in Boston when several young Victoria fiddlers approached her about creating a group for an upcoming music festival. “There was about six of them and we got together and I got some arrangements,” Hernandez said. The group was only meant to play in the one festival, but things “snowballed from there” under Hernandez’s coaching.
“Lots of other people heard about it and wanted to join. It’s been a blast,” she said. Now called Coastline, the group includes fiddlers ages 14 through 21. In 2015, Coastline was nominated for Young Performers of the Year and Instrumental Group of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, and in the same year, the group represented Canada in the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland. 2016 saw the release of their second CD titled “The High Drive.”
The Calgary Fiddlers were formed in 1981 with the same youth-centric vision and are today a world-renowned ensemble. They perform traditional folk fiddle as well as country, bluegrass, Celtic and big band. Dubbed “one of the most dynamic and interesting groups working in roots music today” by folk artist Oliver Swain, The Calgary Fiddlers are a group of 12-18 year-old musicians who have entertained audiences worldwide.
Hernandez is excited to see the groups come together and to perform at the concert herself. Coastline traveled to Alberta mid-May for concerts in Banff and Calgary, and organized rehearsals with The Calgary Fiddlers during their stay. “It’s very complementary watching those groups one right after the other. Their styles, the kind of music they play and how they perform it are very different. It’s fun to watch both groups together,” Hernandez said.
Tickets are available at Long & McQuade and Ivy’s Bookshop for the June 3 show, $20 advance and $25 at the door. The Dave Dunnet Theatre opens at 7:00 pm for a 7:30 start.
“It’s going to be a pretty epic night of fiddling. This is the future of Canadian music and performing. The Calgary Fiddlers put on a wicked show, Coastline are amazing musicians.” Hernandez promises, “It’ll be an awesome night.”