8:00pm (Doors Open 7.15pm) Admission: £15.00

Dazzling teamwork and driving, dancing rhythms mark the playing of this beguiling duo of master Scottish fiddler and brilliant American cellist. Their collaborative musical efforts explore the dynamic and rhythmic soul of Scottish dance music together with lyrical, sensitive airs.

Master fiddler Alasdair Fraser, long regarded as one of Scotland’s premier musical ambassadors, presents the rich Scottish fiddle tradition with unsurpassed eloquence, passion and energy. He is a consummate performer, whose dynamic fiddling, engaging stage presence, and deep understanding of Scotland's music have created a constant and international demand for his solo appearances and concerts with a variety of ensembles. Alasdair has been a major force behind the resurgence of traditional Scottish fiddling in his homeland and the U.S., inspiring legions of listeners and learners through his recordings, annual fiddle camps and concerts.

Alasdair has been featured on over 100 television and radio shows in the UK, and on several nationally-broadcast programs in the US, including CBS Sunday Morning, NPR Morning Edition, A Prairie Home Companion, and The Thistle & Shamrock. On The Kennedy Center Honors (CBS TV) Fraser played a special solo tribute to honoree Sean Connery, a fellow Scot, in a segment that included Catherine Zeta-Jones. Alasdair has made guest appearances with groups as diverse as the Los Angeles Master Chorale, The Waterboys and The Chieftains, and as featured soloist along with Itzhak Perlman at New York's Lincoln Center. His film credits include solo performances on the soundtracks of several major films, including The Last of the Mohicans and Titanic.

Vibrant young cellist Natalie Haas is already a seasoned performer, recording artist and teacher. She regularly performs throughout the US and Europe with Fraser, and is also a member of American fiddler Mark O’Connor’s Appalachian Waltz Trio. A recent graduate of the Juilliard School in New York City, Natalie discovered the cello at age nine. In addition to having extensive classical music training, she is accomplished in a broad array of fiddle genres. Her musical journey found purpose when she fell in love with Celtic music at the Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School at age 11. Inspired and encouraged by director Fraser, she began to investigate the cello's potential for rhythmic accompaniment to fiddle tunes.

"People may be familiar with the gorgeous, melodic cello sound," says Fraser, "but they're surprised to learn that the cello used to comprise the rhythm section in Scottish dance ensembles, into the 20th century. It has long been one of my goals to put the cello right back there, at the rhythmic heart of Scottish music.”

“I feel incredibly fortunate to have found such a sympathetic sparring partner in Natalie Haas,” Fraser continues. “We can ‘duck and dive’ around each other, swap melody and harmony lines, or play off each other’s rhythmic riffs. We’re releasing the cello from its orchestral shackles and unleashing its rhythmic power, which is very exciting. She's so sympatico that we can have these wonderfully shared musical journeys that actually very rarely involve planning, other than to say 'Here's where we're going to begin, here's where we're going to end up, and we know the material, now let's just connect.' I think this is something a lot of musicians strive for, and I feel very fortunate to have someone I can play with that goes there. She has such a great sense of exploration and excitement for the music; it's a joy to play with her!"

Haas and Fraser's duo release, Fire & Grace, was awarded the Best Album of the Year in the Scots Trad Music Awards 2004. They have played to great acclaim at numerous concert halls and festivals across the U.S., including the “Scotland at the Smithsonian” Festival in Washington, DC, in Europe, and at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections and the Festival Interceltique in Lorient - but until now, never in London.