Folk quartet FARA is Catriona Price, Jeana Leslie and Kristan Harvey on fiddle and vocals, with Rory Matherson on piano

The band went down a storm at Orkney Folk Festival 2014 where they made their debut outing in front of a home crowd.  Since then, they have gone on to tour and perform at festivals around the world, including Goderich Festival, Shetland Folk Festival, Tønder Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival, Celtic Connections Festival and many more.

Their eagerly anticipated debut album 'Cross The Line' was released in 2016, securing them the German Critics Award - Album of the Year.  FARA's second record 'Times From Times Fall' was released in 2018.

I’m doing my Masters in “Design Studies, Applied Imagination” at London Arts University - Central Saint Martins. 
My absolute passion is electronic music, and for my MA, my project is specifically targeting the problem of hearing damage from loud music in clubs, and how this can be reduced by re-imagining a product such as protection ear plugs. So it is more enjoyable for the user while not reducing the actual experience and ‘feeling’ of the music. 

I'm looking in to developing a concept product that will give us a new experience of quite literally 'feeling' music. I am in contact with numerous industry professionals to take this idea further as it has not yet been explored.
If you are involved in the music/clubbing scene in any way (work or pleasure!) please, *please* spare a minute to complete my very quick survey. Your responses are all absolutely invaluable to my research, and will enable me to develop something that answers the public need :-) Thankyou so much! 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/88PCFNY

Take the finest exponents of their native Scottish fiddle styles, the finest backing in folk music, and some of the Highlands and Islands’ famed warmth and craic… distil for over 25 years, and you get Blazin’ Fiddles!


One of the most lauded and best-loved acts of the Scottish music scene, from the moment the multi award-winning Blazers take the stage to whisk you on a thrilling musical journey, you’re in the finest of company. The mastery of fiddle virtuosos, Jenna Reid (Shetland), Kristan Harvey (Orkney) and Rua Macmillan (Highlands), grounded by the second to none, driving accompaniment of Angus Lyon (piano) and Anna Massie (guitar), will leave you reeling.


For over a quarter of a century, no other band has quite captured Scottish fiddle music’s variety, energy and sensitivity like Blazin’ Fiddles. Atop many musical twists and turns, the group’s quicksilver playing is matched by lightning sharp humour and uproarious stories from their many tunes and travels, Whatever the hall - whether of the Royal Albert or highland village variety - they’ll turn it into the liveliest and warmest of hootenannies.

Legendary British record label, home to some of the greatest recording artists of all time.

Est. 1929

Working with the greatest artists ever since the founding of Columbia Records in 1887.

Yo-Yo Ma, Glenn Gould, Il Volo, Jonas kaufmann, Igor Levit, Alexis Ffrench, Eugene Ormandy, Leonard Bernstein, Khatia Buniatishvili, Joshua Bell, Arthur Rubinstein, Murray Perahia, Bruno Walter, Teodor Currentzis, Vladimir Horowitz, Dirk Maassen, Christian Gerhaher, Leif Ove Andsnes, Arcadi Volodos, Lavinia Meijer...and many more!

#classical #neoclassical

No one could have imagined at that time what to expect - like Xavier de Maistre himself, when he decided to change the face of the harp 16 years ago. Today he plays pieces like "Moldau" by Smetana in breathtaking precision and presents masterful pieces of music that are usually played by an entire orchestra.

Meanwhile, a worldwide audience listens to his virtuosity and enjoys the unprecedented sounds. Pieces, that no harpist played before, or even thought about - like the Haydn piano concertos. Not only that makes him one of the most extraordinary musicians, even masters of this time.

Xavier de Maistre began to study harp with 9 years. Like many other famous musicians, all started with love - but in this case not as expected the love to his harp. It was rather the love for his former teacher, who offered extra harp lessons. Early, it turned out that Xavier has a great talent and no wonder he started with 25 years to play for the Vienna Philharmonic. Before that he played 3 years for the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and in 1998 Xavier won the first prize of the "USA International Harp Competition“, the major harp competitions in the world. But since Xavier´s family is not from a traditional harp-playing dynasty they put great importance to a solid education. So Xavier started his study of politics at the „Institut des Sciences Politiques“ in Paris and spent 1 year in London at the „London School of Economics ", when he finally decided to prefer music to the political studies. For a musician, he achieved very early what all harpists dream of – a position in one of the best orchestras in the world, the Vienna Philharmonic.

However Xavier de Maistre was about to go on. To see this point as the highlight of the career, which would definitely be a great honor for most of the harpists, and aslo for Xavier, but it was also a kind of sad moment. He achieved the ultimate goal of a harpist at age 25. Through his countless appearances and his keen ambition he has always wants to refute the long-existing bias of the harp - played in the background by angel-like women. Thanks to his his quick anticipation, intelligence and tremendous skill, he has played many pieces as a soloist with the harp and delighted thousands of listeners. Finally, he succeeds to establish the harp as an independent instrument. During his career, many great conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Andre Previn, and Daniele Gatti became curious on him and his passion and asked him to play with them. A long series of concerts follows, convincing the audience that Xavier de Maistre is undoubtedly the master of his instrument. Not for nothing, beside famous conductors, also the most successful singers like Barbara Bonney, Kathleen Battle and Diana Damrau played with him. Likewise, of course, the long list of world-renowned opera houses which he had already visited: Theatre des Champs Elysees Paris, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Musikverein Vienna, Tokyo Opera City, Lincoln Center New York, Salzburg Festival, La Scala Milan and many others.

No wonder, Xavier´s enthusiasm and his gift to play will not put an end to this success story. Awarded with the Echo Klassik Award 2009 for his album "Nuit d'Etoiles" as "Instrumentalist of the Year" (Sony Music) he reaps the fruits of his labor.

For more than 9 years Xavier de Maistre is working as a professor at the Musikhochschule Hamburg and now also teaches at the Julliard School in New York, at the Toho University in Tokyo and in London at Trinity College. After 11 years with the Vienna Philharmonic Xavier leaves his position in order to devote himself to his international solo career - a step that no harpist has done before.

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