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 2024
There are just a few places remaining on the Fiddle Technique course in March on 22nd – 24th at Sheperhds Dene Retreat Centre in Northumberland – book your place now!
Bookings for all 2024 courses are now available, and some courses are booking quickly! Get in touch for a booking form, and see the JSArts page for full details.
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)
Recordings
-
Upcoming Events
Mar20Wed7:00 pm NEFS 2024 Block 2 – OnlineNEFS 2024 Block 2 – OnlineMar 20 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pmNorth East Fiddle School returns with another block of fully online materials, plus a single day workshop in-person that will be held this block on Saturday 16th March. Technique and tunes are taught through Video...Mar22Friall-day JSArts Fiddle Technique @ Shepherds DeneJSArts Fiddle Technique @ Shepherds DeneMar 22 – Mar 24 all-dayJSArts Fiddle Technique 22nd – 24th March 2024 Shepherds Dene, Riding Mill, Northumberland NE44 6AF 4.00 pm start and finish time. £398 fully inclusive (except bar drinks) Bookings for this course are open – please...Mar27Wed7:00 pm NEFS 2024 Block 2 – OnlineNEFS 2024 Block 2 – OnlineMar 27 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pmNorth East Fiddle School returns with another block of fully online materials, plus a single day workshop in-person that will be held this block on Saturday 16th March. Technique and tunes are taught through Video...Apr3Wed7:00 pm NEFS 2024 Block 2 – OnlineNEFS 2024 Block 2 – OnlineApr 3 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pmNorth East Fiddle School returns with another block of fully online materials, plus a single day workshop in-person that will be held this block on Saturday 16th March. Technique and tunes are taught through Video... Facebook Feed
4 days ago
🎶 The Tune Vault - Köhler's HornpipeA happy and joyous hornpipe to celebrate the return of Spring, St Patrick’s Day (have a good one on Sunday!) and the slight feelings of optimism that come at this time of year.youtu.be/jiC3S5p0E64Köhler's Hornpipe (Pachelbel's Frolics; The Savage Hornpipe)This joyful version of a very popular hornpipe comes from the 19th century Scottish publication, Köhler’s Violin Repository, edited by Walter Laybourn and which is also a great source for tunes by Tyneside fiddling legend, James Hill. The tune appears as an untitled hornpipe, as it so often does when it surfaces in English fiddle manuscripts, not infrequently in the key of B-flat!Köhler's Hornpipe (Pachelbel's Frolics) | The Tune Vault
Köhler's Hornpipe (Pachelbel's Frolics; The Savage Hornpipe) - The Tune Vault by Stewart HardyThis joyful version of a very popular hornpipe comes from the ...6 days ago
It gets a double thumbs up!!! ... See MoreSee Less2 weeks ago
Block 1 at North East Fiddle School was a sheer delight for me with some great teaching from our friends, Grace Smith and Kevin Lees. My own offering for the video tuition was Frankie Gavin’s wonderful 3-part jig and here it is for The Tune Vault. Block 2 is shaping up really nicely with video tuition from Grace as well as more tuition on Zoom, and a debut appearance for NEFS from the wonderful American fiddler and long-time resident of the North East, Niles Krieger, at our Saturday workshop in Wylam.Places are still available at our NEFS fiddle workshop day on Saturday 16th March, so do get in touch if you would like to come along! ... See MoreSee LessThe Wren's Nest (Frankie Gavin) | The Tune Vault
The Wren's Nest (Frankie Gavin)- The Tune Vault by Stewart HardyAn absolute stormer of a jig by the great Irish fiddler, Frankie Gavin, in a favourite fiddl...Tags
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 Shop Solo TFA The Tune Vault Tyneside Fiddle Alliance