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Fiddler

Emma Durkan

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(5.0)Read all 6 reviews
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About Emma

Emma is a versatile and skilled musician whose style is rooted in folk but has played rock, blues, pop and even dance hits in nightclubs!
Fiddler
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Emma has been playing traditional music on the fiddle since the age of 11 and the clarsach (celtic harp) since the age of 14. Now 24, she is an accomplished musician with years of performance and teaching experience and a passion for music. During her teenage years, she was part of the North Ayrshire Traditional Music Group who performed in many venues including the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and gigs in France, Spain, Sweden and Slovenia. She won the title of North Ayrshire Traditional Musician of the Year in 2007. Emma also attended the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly known as RSAMD), spending her Saturdays studying music at the Junior Academy. In 2010, she went on to study music further at Newcastle University, where she received a 2:1 Honours Degree specialising in folk and traditional music. Emma has plenty of performance experience, playing at many big venues including the Sage Gateshead, King Tuts in Glasgow and the Cavern Club, Liverpool. As part of her band, Speldosa, she has played at many folk festivals and folk clubs, including Sidmouth Folk Week and the Black Diamond Folk Club in Birmingham. Emma has also performed and delighted audiences in care homes, schools and at weddings. She also has a wealth of teaching experience, including teaching private lessons on the fiddle and clarsach. She is a regular workshop tutor at both the Cambridge and Sidmouth Folk Festivals. She has also helped teach songwriting workshops for young people and taught singing and fiddle workshops for a variety of ages and abilities in her home town of North Ayrshire.

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Saved the day!
Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice
7th Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 7 years
10 gigs
Experienced: 10 bookings through Encore
Musicianship
Genres:
Christmas, Traditional church music, Folk, Traditional Irish folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Ceilidh, Pop, Covers, Top 40, Originals, Scottish music, Acoustic, Classical, Film / TV music, Easy listening, Rock, Alternative rock, Indie
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Instruments:
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Event types:
Wedding, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Recording session, Theatre / Show, Cruise, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve
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Other skills:
Composer, Songwriter, Arranger, Fluent improviser, Instrumental teaching, Community music worker
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Emma
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5 out of 5
4 verified reviews
Satisfaction
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5.0
Professionalism
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5.0
Communication
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5.0
Punctuality
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5.0

Emma's Reviews

From Encore customers:

TB
Terry B
2 months ago
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5 out of 5

Emma was AMAZING!! All of our residents loved listening to her play. She was the perfect addition to our opening party. Will book again in the future.

Reply from Emma
2 months ago

Thanks so much Terry!

SC
Stuart C
11 months ago
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5 out of 5

Excellent

Reply from Emma
11 months ago

Thanks Stuart! Was a great night

EB
Emma B
1 year ago
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5 out of 5

Absolutely wonderful! Emma was so lovely to speak to and so helpful and I heard such lovely comments about the music!

SA
Shirley A
1 year ago
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5 out of 5

Emma was fantastic and went over and above in rehearsing a new very unusual traditional piece with our vocalist. Nothing was too much trouble for her and her performance on the harp was stunning and flawless. She was in constant communication with me to clarify what I wanted I am so glad we chose Emma to perform at my father’s funeral service. I would highly recommend her. Thanks Emma

From other customers:

A&
Ashley C
7 years ago

Thank you very much for being our lovely musician during our wedding ceremony! Your beautiful music complemented our ceremony perfectly and everybody thought it was absolutely lovely.

S
Sheila
7 years ago

So many people have commented on how much they enjoyed the music... I'm sure that people were dancing because they couldn't resist your fiddle playing. Also it was delightful to be able to talk between dances, yet also listen to and enjoy your harp playing. Your contribution to the success of our day is immeasurable. You are a delightful musician and charming too!