★ Master Fiddlers ★
The Festival of Texas Fiddling highlights the best fiddlers from across the diverse regions and peoples of the state. Each year we recognize the most significant true vine tradition bearers with the “Texas Master Fiddler” Award. Each honoree receives a handmade belt buckle.
★ Past award recipients ★
Jody Nix, a well established artist in the great State of Texas gives Glory and Thanks to God for the talent, and the ability to use it to play music that he dearly loves.
Fiddling is well known for being a genre of tradition, and one would be hard pressed to find a fiddler alive today with more built-in tradition than Texas Fiddle Champion Jason Andrew.
Daniel Cendalski, born December 13, 1940 is the last of the active traditional fiddlers of Polish music in Washington County, Texas.
Grounded but ineffable, happily connecting worlds and utterly singular in their vision and impact; Belen Escobedo goes her own way with her music and does it for its own sake and nothing else.
Brian plays a unique, vibrant, and rare tradition of Texas-Polish string band music that stands as one of the most distinctive styles in a state already known for diverse and incredible music.
Fiddling has not only been a fulfilling hobby for Jesse, fiddling has created lifelong friendships and opportunities to associate and share music with some of the finest musicians in Texas.
Jose Moreno is a singular musician from San Benito in the Rio Grande Valley, where he alone has sustained the important tradition of Texas-Mexican fiddling that was once much more widespread along the border.
Ed learned French music from his father as a child and soon developed as a master fiddler. His first instrument was the accordion, which he still plays to this day on instruments that he builds himself.
Valerie was the first woman to serve on the board of the Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association. She performed for several years as a Texas master artist with the nonprofit organization Texas Folklife Resources. In 2009, she became the first female fiddler inducted into the Texas Fiddlers Hall of Fame.