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Bill Stewart (billfiddle)

violinist, artist, composer

About Me

http://www.william-stewart-violinist Started classical violin at the age of ten. --First prize in the Scottish Central Counties Music Festival in 1970, 1971, 1972 First prize in the Glasgow Music Festival in 1973 Won the McFarlane scholarship to attend the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow at the age of fourteen. While at the Academy he won the first prize in the Robert Highgate Scholarship for violin in 1975. Played with: --Scottish Chamber Orchestra --BBC Scotland --Scottish Opera --Scottish Baroque Ensemble --Virtuosi Scotland and at 19 toured Britain as the youngest leader of the Scottish Ballet Orchestra. At the age of 21 Bill left Scotland to take a position as leader of the Passau State Opera Orchestra in Germany before joining the world famous Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Herr. Prof. Karl Munchinger. By the time he was twenty-six, and as a member of the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra Quartet, he had played in some of the most famous concert halls in the world, including Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in New York. After many solo concerts, and support for, among others, Nikki Sudden, and Hazel O'Conner at the “Left Bank”, and playing with local groups like the Jazz Lads and Ellamental, he formed the Klazz with whom he played at the Derry Jazz Festival. He is also playing in “Big Fish” , (previously “Caf� Gitane”) a duo with Karl Burthom. This duo have a wide repetoire of standard jazz titles, swing jazz, gypsy jazz and original compositions all played in unique arrangements by the duo. He has played with and supported many jazz bands/groups in Ireland, inc Hazel O'Connor, Nicky Sudden (joined him on stage to record the last live gig he did before he died), Eve Cunningham, Steve Wickham (Waterboys) and Seamie O'Dowd (Dervish) in a group called “The Fiddle Tree”, ...... anyway... gigged with The Jazz Lads, Ellamental, jammed with Michael Buckley, Micky Nielson, solo with Swing & Co, and loadza others......