Rowan Leslie With Graeme Armstrong

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We are delighted to welcome to The Crescent, County Antrim fiddle player and composer Rowan Leslie.

Rowan plays a blend of traditional and self-penned material with a unique and passionate style.

He was initially taught by renowned local fiddle player and fiddle maker Johnny Murphy from Ballymena, before going on to study on the BMus folk and traditional music course at Newcastle University.  From there, Rowan’s style developed and flourished under the tutelage of the range of talented fiddle players from across Ireland, Scotland and England who contribute to the course. His style of playing today reflects the diverse influences on his musicianship.

Rowan began composing tunes from a young age and went on to study composition under the highly acclaimed Bolivian composer, Agustin Fernandez, which has led to his eclectic approach to composition and opened up opportunities to write for musicians from a variety of genres.

Rowan has played in various musical line ups in Ireland and Scotland and played and toured with Irish dance troupes at home and abroad, and completed a six-month tour with Giffords Circus in 2016.

For this event, Rowan is joined on stage by guitarist Graeme Armstrong from the Scottish Borders, who is also a graduate of the Newcastle course.

Graeme is known for his work in groups such as Talisk and The Rachel Hamer Band. The pair have worked together on various projects since leaving university: the most recent collaboration was the recording of their latest EP, “Originals”, four tracks of Rowan’s own compositions, which was released in May 2017.

For more information about Rowan visit rowanleslie.co.uk

‘A unique sound, Originals … contains some fine fresh tunes: Rabbit on a Chair, the airs Shadow on the Moon and The Years that Fly, the funky … Russian Doll. There are a couple of fun polkas too, all crammed into less than twenty minutes, with stylish accompaniment from guitarist Graeme Armstrong. Look out for more from these guys.’ © Alex Monaghan