“Your playing really swings!” 
-Svend Asmussen, Jazz Violin Legend-
At the age of 26, Canadian Shane Cook "rates at the top of the short list of the finest fiddlers in the world today," says the Canadian Fiddlers' Hall of Fame. Shane has distinguished himself as a master of the Canadian old-time fiddle tradition and excels at an array of fiddle styles ranging from Irish and Scottish to French-Canadian, Texan, and Bluegrass. In fact, after a concert at The Opera House 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 Fiddle Champion, a three-time Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, a Grand North American Fiddle Champion, and is the only Canadian to have ever won the US Grand National Fiddle Championship, a feat he accomplished at just 17 years of age.

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 that have seen him tour Canada, the United States, Germany, England, China and Taiwan. Shane is proud to be a member of the PBS hit show Bowfire - a showcase featuring some of the leading names in modern violin playing, and he is also a member of The Brian Pickell Band - a collection of Canadian virtuosos of traditional music. He has performed his own show with several orchestras and has a new duo CD, When Here Meets There, with East Coast Music Award winner Troy MacGillivray. He also leads his own band with whom he has recently released his fourth solo CD that the London Free Press describes as "Relaxed, sprightly…and brilliantly played."

Shane is often accompanied by the remarkable composer and guitarist Brian Pickell, 20-year-old piano whiz Jake Charron, Canadian Champion step-dancer Tiffany Fewster, and Shane’s brother Kyle, also a Junior Canadian Fiddle Champion. 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 spontanaity. Whether they are playing at a festival, a dance or in an intimate theatre, you won’t find an unresponsive toe in the audience!

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 most recent release, a self-titled project, is a collection of the most important and influential tunes in his own Canadian oldtime fiddle repertoire.

Shane resides in his home town of Dorchester, Ontario, having recently completed an Honours Music degree at the University of Western Ontario. He teaches both privately and at several annual fiddle camps, sharing his deep understanding of Canadian fiddle.

Past Performances Include:

The Governor General’s Awards; National Arts Centre, Ottawa, ON
The World Fair; Hanover, Germany
Guest Soloist with the Canada Pops Orchestra; Hummingbird Centre, Toronto, ON
Guest with the Chieftains, Chrysler Theatre, Windsor, ON
A feature on a BBC Scotland ‘Take the Floor’ radio Broadcast
The Opening of the Stockey Centre, Parry Sound, ON
The Grand Opening of the John Labatt’s Performing Centre, London, ON
The Nashville Network Studio, Nashville, TN
Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
Ontario tour with Wayne Newton
Bands of America, Chicago, IL

Festivals:

Home County Folk Festival, London, ON
Canterbury Folk Festival, Ingersol, ON
Celine Celtic Festival, Celine, MN
Goderich Celtic Festival, Goderich, ON
The Maritime Fiddle Festival, Dartmouth, NS
Winnipeg Folk Festival, Winnipeg, MB

Awards of Note:

Seven Canadian Titles:
3-time Canadian Open National Champion
2-time Canadian Duet Champion with Kyle Cook
3-time Canadian Jr. Champion
US Grand National Champion
3-time Canadian Grand Masters Champion
Grand North American Champion.
3-time Ontario Open Champion
3-time Pembroke Open Champion
Maritime Grand Champion
Gordon Jeffery Scholarship
World Scholarship Tour Scholarship

Educational:

Mark O’Connor Fiddle Camp, Nashville, TN
Hockley Valley Music Camp, Hockley Valley, ON
Peach Bottom Farm Fiddle & Strings Camp, Independence, VA
Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Camp, Ottawa, ON
Algoma Trad, St Joseph’s Island, ON
Fiddles on the Tobique, Plaster Rock, NB
Maritime Fiddle Festival, Dartmouth, NS
Montana Fiddle Camp, Great Falls, MT
Calvin Vollrath Fiddle Camp, St Paul, AB