About Duncan
Duncan Chisholm is one of Scotland’s most recognised and accomplished fiddle players and composers. Born and brought up near Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland, Duncan has spent most of his life developing his unique musical voice. Fiddle playing at its best, Duncan’s feather-light handling of dynamics and ornamentation, allied with his pure-distilled tone, lend his characteristic spine-tingling magic to his music.
Taught to play by the great Donald Riddell, few can match Duncan’s expressive feel for a Highland air. Duncan’s well-established musical career has taken him throughout the UK, Europe and the USA, both through his solo work and while playing with other musicians and bands. Duncan plays regularly with gaelic singing sensation Julie Fowlis, sets the heather on fire with his folk rock band Wolfstone and is much sought after as a composer and accompanist.
Duncan’s latest release Live at Celtic Connections, was recently awarded ‘Album of the Year’ at the Scots Trad Music Awards in December 2014. Performed at an exclusive concert as part of the world famous Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, Duncan recorded this special event where he played music from his acclaimed Strathglass Trilogy of albums, as part of a six piece traditional band who were backed by an orchestral ensemble.
The culmination of six years work, The Strathglass Trilogy – Farrar, Canaich and Affric, is Duncan’s musical representation of the ancient Chisholm Clan lands. With such a personal interest in and connection to these Highland glens, Duncan has worked hard to instil great pride and passion into three individual but very much connected musical masterpieces. This unique and inspired idea of producing a suite of fiddle music recordings, influenced by one of the most beautiful wilderness areas of Scotland, gives a solid representation of Duncan’s ability to get right to the heart of a tune, and communicate the emotion behind it, in what seems a totally natural way.
Duncan’s first solo album, Redpoint catapulted his solo career into the public eye. The Door of Saints closely followed Redpoint; a beautiful album inspired by the music of Northern Spain. Duncan then embarked on his Strathglass Trilogy, mixing traditional tunes with contemporary sounds. Having composed music for several BBC documentaries and written more than half of the tunes presented on his latest release, Duncan has been labelled “the new sound of traditional Scotland.”
“My creative world widens with each passing year and the possibilities for self-expression are limitless. Enjoy the music.” Duncan Chisholm.
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