West Denmark Fiddle School

The West Denmark Heritage Council exists to foster cultural events in the tradition of the West Denmark community and Danish Folk Schools by providing lecturers, musical performances, artistic endeavors, camps, craft workshops, nature appreciation events, and others in keeping with the rich cultural heritage historically imparted by the West Denmark community.

Harald Haugaard
Over the past 15 years, Harald Haugaard has established himself as one of Denmark's most well-known and recognized musicians. His Virtuoso fiddle playing combines playful ease with a rich and melancholic sound. His compositions are contemporary, whilst remaining deeply rooted in the rich soils of the Danish musical tradition. In both composition and performance, Haugaard has shown himself to be an inquisitive and innovative artist who is continuously searching for something new. He brings a contemporary flair to the traditional Danish music in which he is clearly rooted.

Hanneke Cassel
"Exuberant and rhythmic, somehow both wild and innocent, delivered with captivating melodic clarity and an irresistible playfulness," says the Boston Globe about Hanneke Cassel's playing. Such charismatic fiddling has brought Hanneke Cassel many honors and awards. She is the 197 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, she hold a Bachelors of Music in Violin and performance from Berklee College of Music, and she had performed and taught across the U.S., Scotland, Sweden, China, New Zealand, France, England, and Austria.

Antti Jarvela
Antti Jarvela grew up in a small town of Kaustinen, Finland, in a family where the traditional fiddling has been carried through several generations. He started playing the fiddle from the age of four and soon adapted the local dance fiddling style directly from his grandfather. In Kaustinen Music College Antti also started to learn the bouble bass, which soon became his main instrument. After studying bass at the famous Sibelious Acadamy in Helsinki, he decided to make music his prefession. Antti works as a full-time freelance musician and teacher all around the world, carrying on the energy and fun has had a chance to experience with folk music. He is the founder of the Finnish-Norwegian power folk string band Frigg and a member to such bands as Baltic Crossing, JPP, Troka and Kings of Polka.

Kevin Henderson
Kevin is one of the most exciting young fiddlers on the world stage and is in hot demand as he performs the globe with five musical groups. He has been a member of Shetland group, Fiddlers' Bid, since 1991; Celtic group, Boys of the Jough, since 2002; Scottish group, Session A9, since2004; Nordic trio, The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, since 2009 and Shetland/Norway trio, Aamos since 2009. Henderson has been featured on 15 albums. He has appeared on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" on National Public Radio in America.

Helene Blum
Helene has thrilled audiences throughout Europe and from Canada to Japan with her intensely expressive, crystal clear voice. Her artistic focus embraces both traditional roots and innovation. Using ancient songs and ballads as a base, she mixes them elegantly with newly written songs, including her own. She is deeply rooted in Danish music traditions, but at the same time she is not afraid to challenge them. By the age of two, she already wanted to play the violin and all through her childhood her musical talent grew strong while playing with her three sisters. She played mainly piano, but also cello, violin, and from and early age, sang the ballads and hymns of her distinctive tradition.