A Canadian and US National fiddle champion, Shane Cook captivates audiences with technically thrilling and adventurous performances. Noted by The Canadian Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame as one of the “finest fiddlers in the world today,” Cook has distinguished himself as a master of the Canadian old-time fiddle tradition. He also excels at styles ranging from Irish and Scottish to French-Canadian and Bluegrass. After a concert at The Opera House in Boston, the Boston Herald proclaimed “Shane Cook’s Celtic fiddling was enough to break hearts.”
In 2006, Shane retired from competitive fiddling as one of Canada’s most highly awarded fiddlers. He is a three-time Canadian Open National Champion, a three-time Canadian Grand Masters Champion, a Grand North American Champion, and is the only foreign fiddler to win the US Grand National Championship, a feat he accomplished at just 17 years of age.
Shane’s most recent recognition came in 2012 when he received a CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award as well as a Young Tradition Bearer Award, granted by the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival for his dedication and contribution to traditional and roots music in Canada.
In concert, Shane captivates audiences with his danceable playing that is as adventurous as it is technically thrilling. His expressive and virtually flawless performances place him in high demand among a variety of ensembles and collaborations that have seen him tour extensively in Canada, the US, the UK, Ireland, Germany, China and Taiwan.
Shane leads his own group, Shane Cook & The Woodchippers, in a variety of configurations ranging from three to six members. Band mates often include Jake Charron, Emily Flack and Canadian National step dance champions Kyle Waymouth, Sarah Robinson and Sarajayne Dekker. Collectively, their performances thrive on an exciting mix of dynamic musicianship and engaging stage presence and they are quickly building a reputation for their humour and spontaneity. Whether they are playing at a festival, a dance or in an intimate theatre, you won’t find an unresponsive toe in the audience!
The result of Shane’s recent collaboration with long-time friend Jake Charron is their album Head to Head. Grammy-nominee and leading Irish-American musician Liz Carroll describes the 2014 project: “You can’t get much better than this – Shane cranking it out on the fiddle with his innovative, hot-smooth playing, and Jake, alternating between guitar and piano, creating the perfect groove. Superb musicians, beautiful tunes, powerful music!”
Another collaboration, with Nova Scotia’s Troy MacGillivray, earned a 2007 East Coast Music Award for Roots/Traditional Album of the Year by a Group/Duo for their duo project When Here Meets There.
On the opposite end of the size spectrum, Shane’s largest collaborations come when he performs a version of his show with orchestra. Shane has guested with numerous North American orchestras including several times with the International Symphony Orchestra.
Shane is also proud to be a member of the PBS hit show Bowfire – a showcase featuring some of the leading names in modern violin playing. He is also a member of The Brian Pickell Band – a collection of Canadian virtuosos of traditional music, and The StepCrew – a dance and music tour de force.
Shane has four solo recordings to his credit including “Cookin’ on the Fiddle,” “Heritage Fiddles” and ” Sundry,” a superb eclectic sampling of several of Shane’s masterful fiddling styles. His fourth solo release, a self-titled project, is a collection of the most important and influential tunes in his own Canadian oldtime fiddle repertoire that the London Free Press describes as “Relaxed, sprightly…and brilliantly played.”
Shane teaches both privately and at several annual fiddle camps, sharing his deep understanding of Canadian fiddle. He is a graduate of Western University and resides in London, Ontario with his wife and son.
