Stewart Hardy

Stewart Hardy is an internationally-acclaimed performer, composer and teacher with numerous recordings and broadcast credits to his name. Based in the North East of England, a love for the traditional music of Northumberland and Scotland shines through his repertoire and influences his own compositions. Stewart’s teaching is diverse, and has covered many projects from international workshops to the Newcastle University folk degree course. He spent six years as an influential member of the very popular John Wright Band and has toured throughout the world playing traditional folk, pop, rock, jazz, country and western swing music.

Bursary Fundraiser – free Zoom session

Friday 26th July, 7.00 – 9.00 pm on Zoom

Join Stewart and Ali for an evening of inspiring music and play along to some fab tunes on Zoom. Lots of favourites from North East Fiddle School, Tyneside Fiddle Alliance and Stewart’s Online Workshops, with a few harmonies available just for fun!

The session is free to join, but we are raising money for the Bursary Fund, which contributes small sums to people who would otherwise be unable to attend Stewart’s workshops – whether JSArts courses, NEFS workshops or anything else we are running. A playlist and notation will be available on the website, along with the Zoom details. You can make a donation with a bank transfer or via PayPal – or if you’d prefer to send a cheque get in touch for the details.

http://www.stewarthardy.co.uk/education/bursary-july2024/

JSArts Residential Courses 2024

Having had a wonderful celebration for my 100th JSArts Residential Course with the Arrangement Techniques group earlier in June, we now have three more courses left this year. Join us for Fiddle Foundations at Rydal Hall in September, a Repertoire for Mixed Instruments course (great tunes and how to play them well) in October at Shepherds Dene, and the final standard Fiddle Technique course of the year in November at Rydal Hall – this one is fully booked, but we are holding a waiting list.

More information can be found on the JSArts page, and get in touch with Ali for booking forms.

Latest Newsletter

For up to date information on concerts, workshops and merchandise, you can read the latest newsletter. You can also sign up here to receive it directly to your inbox each month:

“Beautifully and stylishly played, good technique serves the music, never being used for mere flash.”

Tom Bell-Richards, reviewing Hawthorn’s Sweeter Shade in Fiddle On.

“Hardy has built up an enviable international reputation for his fiddle playing, venturing easily across genre boundaries… Whether drawing from the Scottish and Irish piping repertoire, from Tyneside’s rich heritage of tunes, or forging their own compositions from these traditions, Hardy and McLaughlin show themselves to be players of immense empathy and spirit.”

Oz Hardwick, reviewing Root 2 in R2.

“Hardy’s fiddling is technically nigh perfect, and his solo performance is enough to hold the attention for over an hour on this CD”

Alex Monaghan, reviewing Hawthorn’s Sweeter Shade in Living Tradition.

“Hardy brings a terrific range of colourful expression to his playing, from the gentle, poignant lilt of his slow airs, through the slippery hornpipe bowing that lights up The Locomotive and the swooping, steely poise of his own Thunderfoot.”

Rob Adams, reviewing Root 2 Herald Scotland.

“Stewart Hardy is pre-eminent among the many fine fiddle tutors with whom I’ve worked. His teaching is characterised by meticulous, clearly-focused preparation, effective structure, attention to detail, rigour, positive encouragement, good humour, patience, kindness and care. He has demanding yet reasonable expectations of his students, and makes sure his workshops are enjoyable, purposeful and productive. Thus his students, at all levels, become better and more confident players. He is the complete professional.”

Folkworks Education Director (1993-2007)