Jeremy Kittel

Jeremy Kittel is rapidly earning a reputation as one of the nation’s most creative young musicians. Classically trained, he grew up in the Irish, folk and jazz music scenes of Ann Arbor and Detroit. As a youth he often traveled to Ireland and Scotland… read more »

Ron Stewart

Is well on the road to becoming a legend in contemporary bluegrass music. He is already one of the most sought after multi-instrumental session players in the genre’s history, and is in high demand as an engineer and producer. Stewart grew up in rural southern Indiana…. read more »

Natalie Haas

Vibrant young musician Natalie Haas is one of the most sought after cellists in traditional music today. She and master Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser have toured together as a duo for over ten years, creating a buzz at festivals and concerts throughout Europe and North America. Natalie has also toured extensively with Mark O’Connor as a member of his… read more »

Mitch Reed

Mitch Reed was born in Bayou Vista, Louisiana in 1971 and raised amongst a family of musicians and folklorists in Lafayette, Louisiana. When Mitch was 15 he started playing the fiddle and became acquainted with some of Acadiana’s musical masters such as Canray Fontenot and Wade Frugé. When he was 17, Mitch began to tour and perform with Dewey Balfa… read more »

Laurie Lewis

Legend is not always loud. Particularly in the beneath-the-radar substreams of American folk music and bluegrass, it is bestowed more by whispered word-of-mouth, over years and decades, than by the hurried hype and ballyhoo of the pop mainstream. You can’t measure Laurie Lewis’s 30-year career with the usual commercial yardsticks… read more »

Tristan Clarridge

A native of northern CA, Tristan Clarridge began playing fiddle at the age of two, going on to win 5 Grand National Fiddle Championships. Now residing in Boston, Tristan is one of a handful of cellists exploring new groove-based cello territory… read more »

Artistic director: Tashina Clarridge

Raised in the mountains of northern California, Tashina began Suzuki violin lessons when she was 2 years old, at Humboldt State University & the University of Montana. She continued studies in Baroque classical violin with Rob Diggins, and in Texas-Style/Contest fiddling with Megan Lynch. Drawn into the creative world of acoustic music camps…. read more »

Host & Assistant director: Grace Forrest

Third generation Big Sur community member Grace Forrest began studying violin on her own initiative at 6 years old. A poster child for home-schooling, Grace heard the famous Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser on the radio when she was little…. read more »

Additional organization & general enthusiasm: Kimber Ludiker

Kimber Ludiker is a 4th generation fiddler who first put bow to string at the age of 3. Now 25, she is the current National Old Time Fiddle champion…. read more »