
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.
JSArts Residential Courses
We’ve had a great time running the JSArts courses in 2024 and the final event at Rydal Hall in the Lake District was a fabulous way to finish off the year. Many thanks to all those who have attended this year and contributed so much to making the courses such a joy to do. I hope we see as many of you as possible in the coming year.
More information can be found on the JSArts page, along with dates for 2025. Booking forms for courses in the first half of the year are now available – get in touch with Ali to request one.
Latest Newsletter
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“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)
Recordings
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Upcoming Events
Feb28Fri7:00 pm Feb/March Workshops 2025: Play-a... @ Online - on ZoomFeb/March Workshops 2025: Play-a... @ Online - on ZoomFeb 28 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pmFeb/March Workshops 2025 Play-along Session in Harmony for Mixed Instruments This will be a Zoom call open to intermediate players (and above) of any instrument. Notation will be provided in advance for all the tunes,...Mar1Sat10:00 am Feb/March Workshops 2025: Fiddle... @ Online - on ZoomFeb/March Workshops 2025: Fiddle... @ Online - on ZoomMar 1 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pmFeb/March Workshops 2025 Fiddle Workshop 1 Zoom Workshop Learn a tune steadily, taught phrase by phrase with detailed instruction for any useful techniques that can be taken away for use in all your fiddle playing....2:00 pm Feb/March Workshops 2025: Fiddle... @ Online - on ZoomFeb/March Workshops 2025: Fiddle... @ Online - on ZoomMar 1 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pmFeb/March Workshops 2025 Fiddle Workshop 2 Zoom Workshop Learn a tune steadily, taught phrase by phrase with detailed instruction for any useful techniques that can be taken away for use in all your fiddle playing....Mar21Friall-day JSArts Fiddle Technique @ Rydal HallJSArts Fiddle Technique @ Rydal HallMar 21 – Mar 23 all-dayJSArts Fiddle Technique 21st – 23rd March 2025 Rydal Hall, Ambleside LA22 9LX 3.00 pm start and finish time. £402 fully inclusive (except bar drinks) Join Stewart in the beautiful surroundings of Rydal Hall in... Facebook Feed
13 hours ago
Many thanks to Maurice and Marina at Phoenix Folk Ltd. for inviting me along last Sunday for one of their ‘An Evening With…” events. Many thanks as well to all the lovely people who came along to support and then have a few tunes all together. The final set in my solo spot started with a favourite James Hill hornpipe, The Omnibus. Here it is for The Tune Vault.The Omnibus [The Stage] (James Hill) | The Tune Vault
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The Omnibus [The Stage] (James Hill)- The Tune Vault by Stewart HardyAnother cracking hornpipe from the ‘Paganini of Gateshead’, James Hill, and one that ha...Stewart Hardy Music is attending an event.4 days ago
🎧🎻🎹 The next set of Zoom workshops will be on Friday 28th Feb and Saturday 1st March. Each workshop can be booked individually, and all will be available on-demand after the weekend. Book now on the website!There will be lots of favourite tunes with harmonies and chords provided for the Friday evening play-along session. All instruments are welcome, and alternate clefs or keys for transposing instruments can be provided on request.
Then we will have two great tunes for our fiddle workshops on The Saturday. On this occasion, I am focusing on two fabulous, contemporary tunesmiths of the North East. For a Northumbrian piper and multi-instrumentalist Andy May writes a wonderful fiddle tune! His beautiful march dedicated to Fred Picknell is quite rightly enjoying a great deal of attention. Before he became a guru of the border pipes, Matt Seattle was very active as a fiddler in the north east of England. In the afternoon we will tackle his excellent rant, Yeavering Bell, which is one of my all time favourite tunes.
All workshops include full resources and lifetime access to the Zoom call recording, so you can go over anything as many times as you wish. You can even sign up if you can't attend the workshops live! 😃 ... See MoreSee Less
1 week ago
Really looking forward to being with Marina and Maurice in their studio on Sunday evening. Join us on Zoom for a short performance and lots of tunes! 🎻 ... See MoreSee LessThis content isn't available at the moment
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30 Years Collection Bill Elliot Bottle Bank Band CD Launch Community Strings Fiddle Day Frank McLaughlin George Welch Graham Dixon Halsway Manor HISS Holly & Ivy James Hill Jimmy's Fiddle JSArts Maddison's Thread Mick West Trio Minstrelsy Morpeth Gathering North East Fiddle School Northumbrian Session Shop Solo TFA The Tune Vault Tyneside Fiddle Alliance