Tashina

Tashina Clarridge has played Fiddle for 22 years - since the age of two. She has performed throughout the western United States, taught hundreds of lessons and workshops, and won countless awards.

Raised in the mountains of northern California, Tashina studied with Megan Lynch and Rob Diggins. Her musical horizons were greatly expanded by frequent visits to Nashville for Mark O'Connor's fiddle camp where she studied with many fiddle heroes such as Darol Anger, Natalie MacMaster, Buddy Spicher, Matt Glaser, and Mark O'Connor. She is the current Grand National Fiddle Champion, a 6-time Grand National finalist, 6-time California State fiddle champion, and 2-time Western Open Grand Champion. Though her contest history clearly distinguishes her as a sparkling clean, studied player in the genre of Texas-style fiddling, it is her enthusiasm for many diverse styles of music that brings such a high level of creativity to her playing.

Tashina has performed at Carnegie Hall as part of Grammy winning bassist Edgar Meyer's young artists concert, and will be touring with Mark O'Connor this fall. She travels and performs throughout the western United States with her brother Tristan, the Bill Evans String Summit, and the contemporary bluegrass outfit, Due West. Together Tashina and Tristan have taught many lessons and workshops and have instructed at Mark O'Connor's Strings Conference for the past 5 years. In Mark O'Connor's words: "Tashina is taking her music very seriously to the point where she will make a lasting impact on the people she touches with her talent in the future. She is in music for the right reasons and we as listeners will benefit from it".

Tristan

A talented multi-instrumentalist, Tristan is the youngest person ever to win the Grand National Fiddle Championships, successfully achieving that title for three years consecutively. Beyond his extensive contest achievements, he is a brilliant acoustic-eclectic musician, spanning many genres of music and instruments with an individual style that is clearly unique and beautifully expressive. Mark O'Connor writes "It would be very difficult to detect Tristan's youth because of his mature phrasing and old time flair. He has a lot going on in that musical mind of his and will step out in life to make wonderful contributions through his music".

An inventive cellist, Tristan is one of the few in the country to adapt rhythmic Celtic and Bluegrass playing to the cello, and has worked closely with Natalie Haas and Rushad Eggleston. Tristan currently tours with Darol Anger's republic of strings, his sister Tashina, and the Bill Evans String Summit. He has toured with Cape Breton Fiddle phenomenon Natalie MacMaster, instructed at Mark O'Connor's String conference in San Diego for the past 4 years, and at Alasdair Fraser's Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School.

www.clarridgefiddlers.com