Western Piedmont Symphony Presents Scottish Fiddle And Cello Duo Alasdair Fraser And Natalie Haas This November

Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS), the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, presents the cutting-edge Scottish fiddle and cello duo Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas on the next Chamber Classics concert series performance on Saturday, November 5, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. at the Drendel Auditorium in Hickory.

The musical partnership between consummate performer Alasdair Fraser, "the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling", and brilliant Californian cellist Natalie Haas spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. Over the last 20 years of creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. They continue to thrill audiences internationally with their virtuosic playing, their near-telepathic understanding, and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.

Fraser has a concert and recording career spanning over 30 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, radio and television credits, and feature performances on top movie soundtracks (Last of the Mohicans, Titanic, etc.). In 2011, he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. Haas, a graduate of The Juilliard School of Music, is one of the most sought after cellists in traditional music today. She has performed and recorded with a who's who of the fiddle world including Mark O'Connor, Natalie MacMaster, Irish supergroups Solas and Altan, Liz Carroll, Dirk Powell, Brittany Haas, Darol Anger, Jeremy Kittel, Hanneke Cassel, Laura Cortese, and many more.

This seemingly unlikely pairing of fiddle and cello is the fulfillment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser. His search eventually led him to find 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 that blend a profound understanding of the Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations. In addition to performing, they both have motivated generations of string players through their teaching at fiddle camps across the globe.

Western Piedmont Symphony Chamber Classics Series is sponsored by Dr. George Clay and Sandra Pait Clay, and support is provided by the SALT Block Foundation, United Arts Council of Catawba County, and North Carolina Arts Council.

Western Piedmont Symphony's 2022-2023 season - Experience the Music. Hear Your Story - encompasses the human stories and connections evident in each of the works or composers represented. The 58th season continues with Masterworks: Orchestral Blockbusters on Saturday, November 19, at P.E. Monroe Auditorium in Hickory, featuring works by Quinn Mason, Bizet, and Beethoven; Foothills Pops: Holiday Spectacular returns to J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir on December 2 featuring holiday favorites and seasonal classics performed by the Western Piedmont Symphony and guest artists tenor Jonathan Kaufman and guitarist Matt Sickels. For more information about the Western Piedmont Symphony 2022-2023 season of concerts and events, visit wpsymphony.org.

Chamber Classics tickets are $25; students $10 (17 & under or w/valid student ID). Purchase by visiting WPSymphony.org/Tickets, call 828.324.8603, or visit the WPS Box Office, located on the SALT Block at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory, NC 28601. Box Office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Mon. - Fri. Drendel Auditorium is located at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory, NC, 28601. Please note: All programs, artists, venues, prices, and dates are subject to change.

Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS) is the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina. For 58 years, WPS has enriched and engaged the communities of Western North Carolina through high quality symphonic music with creative, relevant performances and educational opportunities for all ages. Each season, the Symphony presents an inspiring classical Masterworks series, a fun and unique Foothills Pops series, varying ensembles in the Chamber Classics series, two Youth Orchestras, plus education and community engagement programs in the Catawba Valley region, all under the artistic direction of Maestro Matthew Troy. Western Piedmont Symphony is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council and is a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. Business offices are located on the SALT Block at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory. Box Office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mon. - Fri. For more information about Western Piedmont Symphony, call 828-324-8603, visit wpsymphony.org, or email info@wpsymphony.org.

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