Tag: Grand Masters

2019 Grand Master Fiddler Championship winners

Over the Labor Day Weekend, the Grand Master Fiddler Championships were held in Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

Considered by many to be the grand-daddy of the fiddle competitions, it carries a tremendous prestige for the artists who place highly or take the crown. For 2019 the honor goes to Ridge Roberts, a 16 year old prodigy from Texas.

This year, a number of returning winners were on hand, including Mark O’Connor, who performed with his wife Maggie during the judges’ deliberations. Mark had won the championship several times while he was in his teens. Ketch Secor from Old Crow Medicine Show and The Farmer & Adele also performed.

Here are the 209 winners:

2019 GMFC OPEN Championship

1. Ridge Roberts – Texas
2. Justin Branum – Tennessee
3. Billy Contreras – Tennesseen
4. Jesse Maw – North Carolina
5. Ivy Phillips – Tennessee
6. Eli Bishop – Tennessee
7. Andrew Lin – Kentucky
8. Jacie Sites – Idaho
9. Joel Whittinghill – Kentucky
10. Matthew Lin – Kentucky
11. Mari Black – Massachusetts
12. Benjamin Lin – Kentucky
13. Leah Bowen – Nevada
14. Marina Pendleton – Texas
15. Carl Hopkins – Texas
16. Mark Ralph – Kentucky
17. Kate Ward – Kentucky
18. Carina Baker – Missouri
19. Zach Lashley – Kentucky

2019 GMFC Traditional Championship

1. Austin Derryberry – Tennessee
2. Giri Peters – Tennessee
3. Aaron Lewis – Michigan
4. Eric Anderson – California
5. Billy Brewer – Tennessee

2019 GMFC Youth Championship

1. Miles Quale – California
2. Grace Partridge – Idaho
3. Teo Quale – California
4. Tarquin Bennion – Montana
5. David Lin – Kentucky
6. Elijah Baker – Missouri
7. Baylee Siddon – Missouri
8. Devon Waite – Tennessee
9. Noah Goebel – Kentucky
10. Niko Quale – California

2019 GMFC Accompanist Championship

1. Anthony Mature – Texas
2. Jim Reina – Texas
3. Jake Stargel – Georgia
4. Rob Pearcy – Tennessee
5. Ronnie McKee – Alabama
6. Angelica Branum – Tennessee

The Grand Master Fiddle Championship Facebook page has a good many photos from the weekend, and is a good way to keep up with news on this annual event.

Trustin Baker wins 2018 Grand Master Fiddler Championship

Over the recent Labor Day weekend, the 46th annual Grand Master Fiddler Championship was held in Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

When the prestigious open competition was completed, Trustin Baker of Birch Tree, MO came out on top. Trustin is 19 years of age, and performs with his siblings as The Baker Family. He had been a runner-up in this contest this past three years, and this time around, he won it all.

Over the Saturday and Sunday competitions, Grand Master champions were chosen in the open, traditional, and youth categories. Awards were also presented to the top accompanists who backed up the various competitors.

Each year this contest draws some of the best fiddlers from all across the United States to try and win this distinguished award.

The complete 2018 Grand Master Fiddler results follow:

2018 GMFC Open Championship

  1. Trustin Baker – Missouri
  2. Ridge Roberts – Texas
  3. Andrew Lin – Kentucky
  4. Billy Contreras – Tennessee
  5. Ivy Phillips – Tennessee
  6. Matthew Lin – Kentucky
  7. Wes Westmoreland – Texas
  8. Joel Whittinghill – Kentucky
  9. Mari Black – Massachusetts
  10. Karissa Nugent – Texas
  11. Mark Ralph – Kentucky
  12. Kerry Varble – Ohio
  13. Benjamin Lin – Kentucky
  14. Bill Jones – Georgia
  15. Jason Andrew – Texas
  16. Noemi Turner – Washington
  17. Cody Stadelmaier – Colorado
  18. Blakeley Burger – Kentucky
  19. Josiah Colle – Arkansas

2018 GMFC Traditional Championship

  1. Tyler Andal – Tennessee
  2. Giri Peters – Tennessee
  3. Tessa Dillon – West Virgina
  4. Clelia Stefanini – Tennessee
  5. Henry Barnes – Ohio
  6. Andrew Magill – North Carolina
  7. Hillary Klug – Tennessee

2018 GMFC Youth Championship

  1. Leah Bowen – Nevada
  2. Miles Quale – California
  3. Emilie Miller – Washington
  4. David Lin – Kentucky
  5. Teo Quale – California
  6. Jane Eby – Ohio
  7. Kate Ward – Kentucky
  8. Devon Waite – Tennessee
  9. Christiana Nugent – Texas
  10. Nathan Pedneault – Texas

2018 GMFC Accompanist Championship

  1. Drew Miller – Texas
  2. Rob Pearcy – Tennessee
  3. Jonathan Trawick – Oregon
  4. Elijah Baker – Missouri
  5. Jim Reina – Texas
  6. Todd Varble – Ohio

Congratulations to all the winners and top finishers!

You can learn more about the history and traditions of the Grand Masters Fiddler Championship online.

2017 Grand Master Fiddler Championship winners

The 2017 Grand Master Fiddler Championship was held this past weekend at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.

Prizes to 19th place were awarded in the open division, and to ten places in the traditional and youth divisions. This year they also videotaped the entire proceedings, which you can view online.

And the winners are…

2017 GMFC Open Championship

  1. Mia Orosco – Lorena, TX
  2. Trustin Baker – Birchtree, MO
  3. Billy Contreras – Nashville, TN
  4. Eli Bishop Nashville, TN
  5. Ivy Phillips – Chapmansboro, TN
  6. Laura Waters – Idaho Falls, ID
  7. Andrew Lin – Lexington, KY
  8. Karissa Nugent – Burleson, TX
  9. Mari Black – Cambridge, MA
  10. Brenna Wheeler – Mt. Juliet, TN
  11. Matthew Lin – Lexington, KY
  12. Mark Ralph – Whitesville, KY
  13. Bill Jones – Hokes Bluff, AL
  14. Brooklyn Wise – Rigby, ID
  15. Joel Whittinghill – Bowling Green, KY
  16. Katherine Messer – Bowling Green, KY
  17. McKenzie Thueson – Ammon, ID
  18. Olivia Peppiatt – Lexington, KY
  19. Lauren Dance – Idaho Falls, ID

2017 GMFC Traditional Championship

  1. Tyler Andal – Nashville, TN
  2. Clelia Stefanini – Nashville, TN
  3. Wilhelmina Frankzerda – Nashville, TN
  4. Austin Derryberry – Unionville, TN
  5. Henry Barnes – Newport, VA
  6. Heather Cole-Mullen – Nashville, TN
  7. Casy Meikle – Nashville, TN
  8. Hillary Klug – Shelbyville, TN
  9. Tessa Dillon – Morgantown, WV
  10. Gabriel Skogland – Morgantown, WV

2017 GMFC Youth Championship

  1. Benjamin Lin – Lexington, KY
  2. Miles Quale – Alameda, CA
  3. Grace Partridge – Rigby, ID
  4. Alex Tormala – Sequim, WA
  5. David Tormala – Sequim, WA
  6. Kate Ward – Kuttawa, KY
  7. Teo Quale – Alameda, CA
  8. Logan Davis – Rigby, ID
  9. Jessa Preston – Blackfoot, ID
  10. Shylee Campbell – Menan, ID

2017 GMFC Accompanist Championship

  1. Drew Miller Otis – Orchards, WA
  2. Eric Frey – Nashville, TN
  3. Bryan Jimmerson – Nacogdoches, TX
  4. Nate Nelson – Idaho Falls, ID

Other awards included the Dr. Perry F. Harris Distinguished Fiddler Award which went to Larry Franklin, and the Charlie Bush Traditional Fiddler Performance Award to Billy Contreras.

Congratulations all!

You can find out more about the Grand Master Fiddler organization online.

2016 Grand Masters winners

The winners from this past weekend’s Grand Master Fiddler Championship at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, have been posted online. Held annually, the competition is an open format where fiddlers (and their accompanists) are eligible for more than $10,000 in prizes across four categories.

The top prize winner was Maddie Denton from Murfreesboro, TN who took home a $1200 cash prize plus a $500 D’Addario gift certificate and a Grand Master Fiddler plaque. She will also have an opportunity to perform on the Grand Ole Opry prior to next year’s competition.

The Traditional division winner was Brian Christianson of Nashville, TN, and the Youth division winner was Ivy Phillips of Chapmansboro, TN. Both received a $300 prize, plus a $500 D’Addario gift certificate and a Grand Master Fiddler plaque. They will also get to appear on the Opry next year.

Judges for 2016 included Matt Hartz, Daniel Carwile, Aynsley Porchak, Amy Carwile, and Bobby Taylor. Porch was the 2015 champion.

Here are the complete standings for this year.

2016 Grand Master Fiddler Champion

  1. Maddie Denton
  2. Trustin Baker
  3. Katrina Nicolayeff
  4. Ellie Goodman
  5. Mia Orosco
  6. Andrew Lin
  7. River Lee
  8. Harrison Schumann
  9. Eli Bishop
  10. Bill Contreras
  11. Grant Rigney
  12. Michael Thompson
  13. Carl Hopkins
  14. Megan Lynch-Chowning
  15. Tiffany Boucher
  16. Tyler Andal
  17. Joel Whittinghill
  18. Allie Hagan
  19. Faith Nugent
  20. Paige Park

 

2016 Grand Master Fiddler Champion Traditional Championship

  1. Brian Christianson
  2. Henry Barnes
  3. Kelsey Wells
  4. Henry The Fiddler
  5. Hillary Klug
  6. Travis Inman
  7. Chris Gray
  8. Clelia Stefanini

 

 2016 Grand Master Fiddler Champion Youth Championship

  1. Ivy Phillips
  2. Benjamin Lin
  3. Celeste Pena
  4. Alex Tormala
  5. Macy Lynn Keller
  6. Beth Davis
  7. Sophie Pena
  8. David Lin
  9. Kate Ward
  10. David Tormala

 

2016 GMFC Accompanist Championship

  1. Anthony Mature
  2. Hyatt Hopkins
  3. Jim Reina
  4. Ray Brandin
  5. Rinnie McKee

 

Congratulations to everyone who placed this year!

Grand Masters results for 2015

We’ve just received the results from the 2015 Grand Masters Fiddler Championship, held September 26-27 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. Looks like this story got lost in the preparations for the World of Bluegrass convention in Raleigh that next week. Oops!

This year’s top prize went to Aynsley Porchak, a young Ontario fiddler currently studying in the Bluegrass, Old Time, & Country Music program at East Tennessee State University. Aynsley is only the second Canadian fiddler to be named Grand Master, following Rudy Meeks who accepted the award in 1977. She received a winner’s plaque and a check for $1200.

Aynsley said that she played Dusty Miller, Gardenia Waltz, and Foolin’ Around in the first round, and Done Gone, Our Waltz, and Tune For Andy in the second.

“It is such a blessing to have won the Grand Masters Fiddler Championship. I am absolutely thrilled, as this has been a dream of mine for many years, and as the winner, I am very honored and grateful to be able to play at the Grand Ole Opry next year. A big thanks to all for their support!”

Here’s a list of the top finishers this year.

2015 Grand Master Fiddler Championship

  1. Aynsley Porchak
  2. Trustin Baker
  3. Eli Bishop
  4. Andrew Lin
  5. Doug Fleener
  6. Joel Whittinghill
  7. Billy Contreras
  8. Karissa Nugent
  9. Makaela Shippy
  10. Cara DiGiovanni
  11. Mark Ralph
  12. Matthew Lin
  13. Jacob Johnson
  14. Gene Banks
  15. Faith Nugent
  16. Noelle Nugent

 

2015 Grand Master Fiddler Traditional Championship

  1. Tyler Andal
  2. Clelia Stefanini
  3. Matt Brown
  4. Tiffany Boucher
  5. Brandon Godman
  6. Henry Barnes
  7. Wilhelmina Frankzerda
  8. Shannon Hunt
  9.  Rafe Stefanini
  10. Mikaela Langley

 

2015 Grand Master Fiddler Youth Championship

  1. River Lee
  2. Diana Dawydchak
  3. Ivy Phillips
  4. Celeste Pena
  5. Savannah Shannon
  6. Benjamin Lin
  7. Sophie Pena
  8. Kate Ward
  9. Beth Davis
  10. Lanie Shippy

 

2015 Grand Master Fiddler Accompanist Championship

  1. Anthony Mature
  2. Paul Kramer
  3. Robert Shafer
  4. Jim French
  5. Jim Reina

Grand Masters coming up end of the month

The 43rd Annual Grand Master Fiddler Championship is set for September 27-28 in Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. For the second year in a row, the competition is decoupled from the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass convention, with their events having moved from Nashville to Raleigh, NC.

Champions will be chosen in four categories:

  • Grand Master Traditional – top entrant who plays other than in a recognized “contest” style
  • Grand Master Youth – top entrant 15 and under
  • Grand Master Accompanist – top guitar or piano accompanist
  • Grand Master – best of the best; top entrant in the primary division

Pre-registration in encouraged, though contestants may register on site.

There is no fee to enter the competition, and Howard Harris, Chairman and CEO of Grand Master Fiddler Championship, Inc., assures us that all sponsorship income is dedicated to prizes for the competitors, totaling over $10,000.

“We are still a 501c3, all volunteer organization, and not one penny of funding goes to pay any salary or bonus, only to the fiddlers, judges and costs associated to put on the contest. We will have fiddlers from across the U.S. and typically a few from Canada and as far away as Australia.”

More details can be found online.

2013 Grand Masters Fiddler champions

This past weekend, the 2013 Grand Masters Fiddler Championship was held at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. Prizes were awarded in four categories, with honors announced in up to 20 places.

This prestigious competition draws top-flight fiddlers from all over the country, with one Canadian placing in the top 20.

Here are this year’s winners.

2013 Grand Masters Fiddler championship

  1. Laura Waters – Idaho
  2. Jesse Maw – Montana
  3. Junior Marriott – Missouri
  4. Maddie Denton – Tennessee
  5. Katrina Nicolayeff – Idaho
  6. Doug Fleener – Kentucky
  7. Eli Bishop – Tennessee
  8. Cody Marriott – Missouri
  9. Bubba Hopkins – Texas
  10. Aria Stiles – Minnesota
  11. Justin Branum – Missouri
  12. Harrison Schumann – Texas
  13. Grant Rigney – Tennessee
  14. Miya Saito-Beckman – Oregon
  15. Aynsley Porchak – Ontario, Canada
  16. Andrew Lin – Kentucky
  17. Joel Whittinghill – Kentucky
  18. Billy Contreras – Tennessee
  19. Karissa Nugent – Texas
  20. Jeff Guernsey – Indiana

2013 Grand Masters Fiddler Traditional championship

  1. Tyler Andal – Tennessee
  2. John Boulware – Tennessee
  3. Missy Daley – Tennessee
  4. Mikaela Langley – Tennessee
  5. Brandon Godman – Tennessee
  6. Tanner Marriott – Missouri
  7. Abby Morris – Texas
  8. Woody Hall – Tennessee
  9. Preston Marriott – Missouri

2013 Grand Masters Fiddler Youth championship

  1. Trustin Baker – Missouri
  2. River Lee – Texas
  3. Justin Sherfey – Washington
  4. Ivy Phillips – Tennessee
  5. Jacob Johnson – Alabama
  6. Allie Hagan – Kentucky
  7. Emma DeJarnette – Georgia
  8. Alicyn Newman – Kentucky *tie
  9. Matthew Lin – Kentucky *tie
  10. Lauren Clardy – Tennessee

2013 Grand Masters Fiddler Accompanist championship

  1. Anthony Mature – Texas
  2. Ray Brandin – Louisiana
  3. Sterling Abernathy – Tennessee
  4. Jim Reina – Texas
  5. Ted Williams – Texas

Congratulations one and all!

Grand Masters this weekend in Nashville

This weekend the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will host the 2013 Grand Master Fiddler Championship in Nashville.

This is the first year the prestigious contest will be held on its own since joining forces with the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass convention in 2004. With IBMA moving its signature event to Raleigh, NC for at least the next three years, the Grand Masters was again left homeless, just as it was when the Opryland theme park closed in 1997.

Howard Harris, Chairman and CEO of Grand Master Fiddler Championship, Inc. tells us that they are thankful for the support of the Hall of Fame, and their generous sponsors in and around Nashville.

Fiddlers will be heading to Nashville from all over the country to compete in four categories: Grand Master Fiddler, Grand Master Fiddler Traditional, Grand Master Fiddler Youth, and Grand Master Accompanist.

The list of winners and top 10 placers includes nearly every prominent fiddler since the 1970s. Legends like Mark O’Connor, Sam Bush, Hoot Hester, J.T. Perkins, Texas Shorty, Benny Thomasson, Woody Paul, Jimmy Mattingly, and Randy Howard have graced their leader board, along with current fiddlers like Deanie Richardson, Luke Bulla, Daniel Carwile, Alex Hargreaves, Kimber Ludiker, Tristan and Tashina Claridge, and many, many others who have their name in the rolls.

Full details about the Grand Masters can be found online. We’ll post the 2013 winners when the information is available.

Grand Masters to remain in Nashville

For the past 7 years, the venerable Grand Masters Fiddler Championship has been held in Nashville during the IBMA World of Bluegrass week in late September. It had been hosted at the Opryland theme park from 1972 until it was left homeless when the park closed in ’97.

The partnership with IBMA marked the contest’s rising from the ashes, after it was privately organized as a Tennessee non-profit in 2004. But with IBMA moving its signature events to Raleigh, the fate of the competition was again uncertain. Initial plans were to follow World of Bluegrass to North Carolina, but today Howard H. Harris, Chairman and CEO of the Grand Masters, announced that they will be remaining in Nashville for 2013.

“The Grand Master Fiddler Championship will be held Labor Day weekend (August 31-September 1) at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Although we had planned to move to Raleigh with the IBMA, due to the support we receive from the Tennessee and Metro Nashville Arts Commissions, we will not be able to make this move for 2013.

We love the IBMA folks, Fan Fest, the Awards show, and everything that goes with that thrilling week of bluegrass, and will miss being an integral part of the events. Personally, I plan to be there with my family and friends to enjoy Fan Fest in my home state of North Carolina.”

More details about the Grand Masters, its storied history, and its stellar list of previous winners, can be found online.

UPDATE 5/8: The initial posting of this article showed the wrong date for the competition. It will be held August 31-September 1.

2012 Grand Master Fiddle Champion

Occurring in tandem with the IBMA’s Fan Fest last month in Nashville was the 2012 Grand Master Fiddle Championship, held in the hotel connected to the convention center.

The venerable contest has been running since 1972, when it was first established as an invitational fiddle challenge for the Grand Ole Opry. It was held at Opryland in Nashville until 1997 when the park was closed. After several years of inactivity, the Grand Masters reemerged in 2005 and has been held in conjunction with the IBMA’s annual events since that time.

Over its long run, some of the biggest names in American fiddle music have won or placed in this competition. Sam Bush, Texas Shorty, J.T. Perkins, Hoot Hester, Benny Thomasson, Mark O’Connor, Jimmy Mattingly, Randy Howard, Dale Morris, Tim Crouch, Dan Kelly, Daniel Carwile, Andrea Zon, Deanie Richardson, Luke Bulla, April Verch, Matt Hartz, Tashina Clarridge, Alex Hargreaves Kimber Ludiker, Tristan Clarridge and Grant Rigney have all appeared in the winners’ column.

Since 2008, the contests have been split into several categories, with trophies awarded to accompanists as well as youth and traditional fiddle.

For 2012, first place in the open competition went to Jacie Sites of Idaho, another hot bed of fiddle music owing to the National Oldtime Fiddle Contest held in Weiser this past 60 years.

Here is video of Jacie’s winning tunes.

 

Grand Masters President and CEO Howard Harris tells us that they will be following IBMA to Raleigh, NC for the 2013 competition, as will the folks with Vietti Foods who have been the title sponsor since 2005.

“Without the vision and support of Philip Connelly, President of Vietti Foods, the championship would not have happened the last two years.

All the funds received by the Grand Master Fiddler Championship go towards preserving the championship. No officer or board member is paid to serve! This is an all volunteer organization and we work because we love fiddling, we want to preserve these styles of fiddling and encourage our young people to keep fiddling.”

Harris also mentioned that their staff is hard at work digitizing all the audio from past years’ contests to make them available for download sale online. Students at Middle Tennessee State University will be assisting in the process with a goal of having all the winners from 1972-2012 up during 2013.

Donations are accepted on the Grand Masters web site, where you can also see lists of past winners and some terrific archival photos.

© Bluegrass Today [year]
powered by AhSo

Exit mobile version