Iain Fraser performs and teaches traditional music on the fiddle. He’s fascinated by the fiddle’s rhythmic and emotional capabilities and he tries to draw upon the extensive repertoire of traditional music ranging from 18th Century Scottish tunes to new compositions. He released the album Touchwood in 2002 which features 18th and 19th Century Scottish fiddle music on fiddle and cello. More recently he’s composed a number of ensemble pieces which aim to extend traditional Scottish music motifs and present them in new ways. In 2016 he composed Koterana, a piece celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Rev Norman McLeod as he and his congregation underwent a double emigration – firstly from Assynt to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and then after a period of 30 years, to a new settlement named Waipu in New Zealand. In November 2021 Iain’s new commissioned piece Gneiss, was premiered at the Adult Fèis in Ullapool to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this festival and an album of this work was released in early April 2022.
Iain’s teaching practice has included both group workshops and individual lessons and he aims to help people young and old pursue their musical dreams while making music a fun social experience available to all. Between 1995 – 2005 he was principal fiddle teacher in the Scottish Music Department of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In 2021, he gained an M.Litt with Distinction in Folklore from the University of Aberdeen’s Elphinstone Institute.
Iain will be in residence at Sweeney’s Bothy in November 2026. On Eigg, he will spend time trying out new music, practicing and honing his instrument playing skills, exploring family connections with the Island and working on new ideas for future creative projects.
