fiddlerokennedy

Biography

Owen Kennedy is a seventeen-year-old fiddler from Maine whose love of traditional music and enthusiasm for performing has captivated audiences from San Diego to the Shetland Islands and all over New England. Owen is the 2022 New England Regional Open Scottish Fiddle Champion, the 2021 Junior US National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and won the 2021 Young Stars of Maine "Glenn Jenks Future in Music” prize. He was selected for Best of All Things Irish from the Maine Irish Heritage Center and received a Passim Iguana Music Fund Grant for work on his debut album, Oh When: Now.

Owen performs in duos with both Seán Heely and Ethan Tischler; and in various groups including the Pineland Fiddlers, the Young Tradition Youth Commission, and as a Youth Artist Leader in Vermont’s Young Tradition Touring Group. Owen has shared the stage with Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy, Genticorum, Claude Méthé, Pete Sutherland & Oliver Scanlon, Andrea Beaton & Troy MacGillivray, and Owen Marshall.

Owen is a seasoned solo performer as well, frequently playing at local markets & festivals, kicking off the Boys & Girls Club National Conference in San Diego with an audience of several thousand, and performing at The Big Gig, the final Shetland Folk Frenzy concert at The Mareel. During the pandemic, he was part of livestream events from Club Passim's Campfire Festival to Make Music Portland, Virtual New England Folk Festival to BCMFest 2022.

Recent performances include the Young Stars of Maine Prizewinners Concert, the New World Festival, Waldo Fiddle Fest, Maine Celtic Celebration, and the Flurry Festival; opening sets for Còig in Maine and Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas in Vermont; house concerts in Cherryfield, for the Brownington Ceilidh Club in Vermont and a notloB Parlour Concert in Massachusetts; as well as several Maine tours with Seán Heely, including joining the Seán Heely Band at The Dance Hall in Kittery and for the Maine Highland Games.

As an emerging musician deeply rooted in the Maine Maritime tradition and immersed in his growing passion for Scottish music, Owen’s powerful playing charms listeners whether capturing the melancholy of a Scottish air, mimicking the sound of pipes in a march, or driving a good ol’ New England contradance tune.

Quote from Alasdair Fraser

After my opening set for the 10/2/21 show in Colchester, VT Alasdair Fraser shared: "What a lovely way to begin – it made me feel so homesick and very comfortable… I’m in familiar surroundings. Owen, it’s just a beautiful recital you gave there. I loved everything about it!"

Short Bio

Two-time Scottish Fiddle Champion Owen Kennedy is a seventeen-year-old Maine fiddler whose love of traditional music and enthusiasm for performing has captivated audiences from San Diego to the Shetland Islands and all over New England.

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Long Bio

Owen Kennedy is a seventeen-year-old fiddler from Maine whose love of traditional music and enthusiasm for performing has captivated audiences from San Diego to the Shetland Islands and all over New England. Whether capturing the jazzy bounce of a Maritime reel, mimicking the sound of pipes in a Scottish march, or driving a good ol' New England contradance tune, Owen's powerful playing, clean articulation, and artistic ornamentation are a delight.

Owen is the 2022 New England Regional Open Scottish Fiddle Champion, the 2021 Junior US National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and received the 2021 Young Stars of Maine "Glenn Jenks Future in Music” Prize from Bay Chamber Music School. He also earned 2nd place in the highly competitive Young Tradition Festival Contest. He was selected for Best of All Things Irish from the Maine Irish Heritage Center and received a Passim Iguana Music Fund Grant to begin work on his debut album, Oh When: Now which will be released in April 2023.

Though young, Owen is a seasoned performer – entertaining at the Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors dinner and kicking off their National Conference in San Diego with an audience of several thousand, to performing solo at The Big Gig, the final Shetland Folk Frenzy concert in Lerwick at the Mareel. He has opened for Pete’s Posse and an Acadia Trad Festival concert in Bar Harbor, and has shared the stage with Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy, The Outside Track, Genticorum, Claude Méthé, Pete Sutherland & Oliver Scanlon, Andrea Beaton & Troy MacGillivray, and Owen Marshall. Also comfortable in a more intimate setting, Owen has given house concerts in Florida and Pennsylvania and as well as at The MacArthur House in Vermont.

Like many musicians, Owen made the best of Covid19 challenges with various video projects, including the ongoing "50 Fiddlers from 50 States” project and sharing music online on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. He performed for many livestream events from Club Passim's Campfire Festival to Cabot Arts' Celtic Equinox celebration to Make Music Portland and the Virtual New England Folk Festival.

Owen began playing the violin at four years old as a Pineland Suzuki School student, learning music by ear; his first violin was a box with ruler stuck in it “played” with a wooden dowel rod. He studied with Betsy Kobayashi for ten years and continues to participate in several chamber & orchestral ensembles including Mozart Mentors Orchestra, Maine All State Orchestra (2020), and Mid-Maine Youth Orchestra (2021, 2022).

Although he enjoys the challenge and intricate harmonies of classical music, Owen's true love is fiddling. He began fiddling with Maine Master Fiddler, Ellen Gawler, and performing with the youth group she leads, the Pineland Fiddlers. From his very first fiddle performance of Shetland tunes at the beloved Skye Theatre, it became clear that Owen has a gift: his infectious joy in sharing traditional music. Owen continues to work with Ellen Gawler and has a deep affection for the Maine Maritime style he plays for contradances, at Maine Fiddle Camp, and at various celebrations and local events.

Owen’s connection to the Scottish style was ignited in Cape Breton, when he first visited with the Pineland Fiddlers in 2015 and when he returned for Celtic Colours 2018. The flame grew in 2019, with an immersion into the music of the otherworldly Shetland Islands at the Shetland Folk Frenzy and jam sessions in Edinburgh. Soon after, Owen met champion Celtic fiddler Seán Heely and was inspired by Seán’s performances and workshops at the Acadia Traditional School of Music and Dance and Fiddle Hell, motivating him to dive into the Scottish fiddling tradition and join Seán’s studio in 2020, and culminating in his own win at the Junior US National Scottish Fiddle Championship competition. Since then, they have performed together in Maine as a duo whenever possible. Owen also joined Seán and Beth Patterson for their Maine tour and was a guest with the Seán Heely Band for their Maine Highland Games performances in 2022.

In addition to performing with the Pineland Fiddlers, Owen has played with the Maine Folque Co-op since 2015, when the group performed at the American Folk Festival in Bangor. Led by Cindy Larock and based in the Lewiston/Auburn area, the Maine Folque Co-op provides music for contradances and various special events like St. Patrick’s Day, the Great Falls Balloon Festival, and Maine Maple Sunday. In 2019, Owen joined the Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group, an auditioned trad band of teen musicians, singers, and dancers who focus on learning traditional music and dance repertoire, performing monthly in Vermont at venues like the Barre Opera House, the Chandler Center for the Arts, and the Highland Center for the Arts. Owen was chosen as a Youth Artist Leader for the 2022-23 Touring Group season and is also playing with the Young Tradition Youth Commission this year, a five-piece band of multi-instrumentalist teenage musicians.

Whether jamming with friends, playing with the Pineland Fiddlers, the Maine Folque Co-op, or the Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group, performing solo, or offering music at markets, churches, and retirement communities, Owen's love of traditional fiddle music charms listeners with his artistry, authenticity, and infectious grin. When he’s not fiddling, Owen can be found outside swimming, kayaking, biking, skiing, and fishing; snuggling with his dogs Daisy and Finn; or in the kitchen cooking.

Selected Performances

2022

Club Passim Virtual Open Mic Set
Brunswick Winter Farmers Market – Brunswick, ME
Boston Celtic Music Festival with Seán Heely (virtual)
Private Wedding – Marco Island, Florida
Mardi Gras Party with Young Tradition Vermont (virtual)
Mid Maine Youth Orchestra Concerts – Oakland, ME
New England Folk Festival Trad Fiddle Show (virtual)
Vermont Maple Festival with Young Tradition Touring Group - St. Albans, VT
Young Tradition Festival - Burlington, VT
Maine Tour with Seán Heely & Beth Patterson - Bridgton, Portland, Searsport, Farmington, Bangor
Make Music Portland - Portland, ME
East Fairfield Summer Concert Series - East Fairfield, VT
Maine Celtic Celebration - Belfast, ME
Cherryfield House Concert with Ethan Tischler - Cherryfield, ME
Readfield Union Meeting House with Greg Boardman & Steve Muise - Readfield, ME
Maine Red Hot Dog Festival - Dexter, ME
The Dance Hall with the Seán Heely Band - Kittery, ME
The Maine Highland Games with the Seán Heely Band - Brunswick, ME
Norland Living History Center - Livermore, ME
Burlington City Arts Concert with Young Tradition Vermont - Burlington, VT
New Hampshire Highland Games Open Competition - Lincoln, NH
The Big E Vermont Day with Pete Sutherland, Winslow & Sam - W Springfield, MA
Fiddlers in the Forest with Seán Heely - Lewiston, ME
Vienna Music Hall with Pineland Fiddlers and Seán Heely - Vienna, ME
Cumston Hall with Seán Heely - Monmouth, ME
notloB Parlour Concert with Ethan Tischler - Harvard, MA
Open for Waldo Fiddle Fest with Ethan Tischler - Waldoboro, ME
Open for Glenn Jenks Revue - Rockport, ME
Oasis of Music - Lewiston, ME
Open for House of Hamill - Farmington, ME
Open for Coig with Ethan Tischler - Farmington, ME
Laura Ingalls Christmas Concert - Clinton, ME
Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group Concert - Shelburne, VT

2021

Concert with Mid-Maine Youth Orchestra – Farmington, ME
Young Tradition Touring Group Online Event with Chandler Center for the Arts
Virtual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Portland video project
Virtual Celtic Equinox with Cabot Arts
Young Tradition Touring Group Online Event with Town Hall Theater in Middlebury VT
Solo Trad Fiddle Show with Virtual New England Folk Festival
Prizewinner Set with Virtual Young Tradition Festival & Duo Video with mentor & teacher, Seán Heely
Virtual Campfire Festival In the Round solo sets with Club Passim
Young Stars of Maine Prizewinners Concert – Rockport, ME
Make Music Portland at Bell Buoy Park and Lobsterman Park – Portland, ME
Virtual Old Songs Festival with Young Tradition Touring Group – Burlington, VT
Fiddle on the Front Porch solo show at Cumston Hall – Monmouth, ME
New World Festival, solo & with Owen Marshall – Randolph, VT
Edinboro Highland Games Junior US Nat’l Scottish Fiddle Competition (virtual)
Open for Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas – Colchester, VT
Fiddle in the Forest with Seán Heely – Auburn, ME
Boothbay Railway Village Fall Foliage Festival with Seán Heely – Boothbay, ME
Searsport Shores Pop-up Trip to Scotland with Seán Heely - Searsport, ME
Hometown Show with Seán Heely – Winthrop, ME
Waldo Fiddle Fest with Pineland Fiddlers – Waldoboro, ME
Solo at Down East Singers American Music Concert – Camden, ME
Best of All Things Irish in Maine
Open for Còig - Farmington, ME

2020

Concert with Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group – Barre, VT
Concert with Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group – Greensboro, VT
Irish Night at Blue Set for Hornpipe Night with Owen Marshall – Portland, ME
February Frolix Solo Show – Mount Vernon, ME
House Concert – Sarasota, FL
Mardi Gras Celebration with Maine Folque Co-op – Orono, ME
Vassalboro Dance with the Pineland Fiddlers – Vassalboro, ME
Concert with Young Tradition Vermont Touring Group – Randolph, VT
Maine All State Orchestra video project
Make Music Portland livestream shows
Floating Fiddle Concert – Belgrade Lakes, ME
Clover Manor with Maine Folque Co-op – Auburn, ME
Club Passim Virtual Open Mic
Live Interview + Solo Set for Young Tradition Vermont
Solo Scottish Fiddle Show for Oasis Music Series – Lewiston, ME

2019

St. Patrick’s Day at Maine Craft Distilling (Portland) and Governor’s Restaurant (Lewiston)
DownEast Country Dance Festival with the Maine Folque Co-op – Topsham, ME
Young Tradition Vermont Contest Finals Concert – Burlington, VT
Pineland Fiddlers Show with Gawler Family Band – Belfast, ME
Bangor Contradance with Maine Folque Co-op – Bangor, ME
Concert Opener for Acadia Trad Festival with Troy MacGillivray – Bar Harbor, ME
Windjammer Festival with Ben Foss – Boothbay Harbor, ME
The Big Gig solo set at the Shetland Folk Frenzy – Lerwick
Solo set & set with Pineland Fiddlers at joint show with Hjaltibonhoga – Lerwick, Shetland
Concert Opener for Pete’s Posse – Farmington, ME
MacArthur House Concert – Marlboro, VT
Oasis of Music show – Lewiston, ME
St. Andrew’s Day Show – Winthrop, ME

2014 to 2018

August 2014: American Folk Festival Maine Folklife Center with Maine Folque Co-op – Bangor, ME
June 2015: Cape Breton with Pineland Fiddlers – Gaelic College, Red Shoe Pub, Celtic Interpretive Center
September 2015: With Lisa Ornstein and Le Bruit Court dans la Ville at Olin Arts Center – Lewiston, ME
March 2016, 2017: Franco Day at the Maine State House with Maine Folque Co-op – Augusta, ME
August 2016: Maine Highland Games with Pineland Fiddlers – Topsham, ME
March 2017 & 2018: Maine Acoustic Festival – Hannaford Hall – Portland, ME
July 2017 & 2018: solo at Celebrity Chef Gala – Carrabassett Valley, ME
November 2017: solo at Tree for Boston Centennial Commemoration – Augusta, ME
March 2018: Contradance at Colby with Claude Méthé and Dana Whittle – Waterville, ME
April 2018: Boys & Girls Club of America Conference National Youth Talent Performers – San Diego, CA
April 2018: solo at Boys and Girls Club of America Board of Directors Dinner – San Diego, CA
August 2018: American Folk Festival Dance Tent with Genticorum – Bangor, ME
October 2018: visited Cape Breton for Celtic Colours with various open mics & sessions