Troy MacGillivray & Kimberley Fraser

Troy MacGillivray’s musical prowess can be attributed to an especially rare combination of commitment and bloodline. By the age of six, Troy was already impressing audiences with his step dancing skills. By 13 he was teaching piano at the renowned Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts in St. Anne’s, Cape Breton. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music from St. Francis Xavier University and a diploma in recording engineering from McKenzie College.  Troy has a roots-centered approach to his fiddling and piano playing that have lead to the production of 6 CD’s, several of which received East Coast Music Association and Music Nova Scotia awards. In 2012, Troy received the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal commemorating his contribution and dedication to preserving and promoting arts and culture in Nova Scotia and Canada. Troy has also been recognized with personal achievement awards such as the Young Alumnus of the Year by St. Francis Xavier University and the Auleen Theriault Young
Tradition Award from the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival, both of which were presented for showing outstanding talent and love for traditional and roots based music.  His extensive touring has seen him travel from coast to coast to coast in Canada, as well as a special trip to Afghanistan to play for the Canadian military. Other performance highlights include the North Atlantic Fiddling Convention in Ireland, Celtic Connections in Glasgow Scotland, Celtic Colours International Festival in Cape Breton, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, the Barbados Celtic Festival and the Edinburgh Fiddle Festival He recorded a television program for the Bravo Television Network and provided music for a CBS made-for-TV movie starring Jane Seymour. Troy continues to impress and amaze audiences around with world with his incredible array of talent, his vast wealth of knowledge and experience both on and off the stage.

Kimberley Fraser was born on Cape Breton Island, and nurtured within its rich musical heritage. She first began to impress audiences at the age of three with her step-dancing talents. Soon after that she took up both the fiddle and the piano. Since then, Kimberley has built a distinguished career, travelling and performing all over the world from Victoria to Afghanistan. Dan MacDonald of the Cape Breton Post says about Fraser’s versatility, “She has matured to become one of the stellar players of the Cape Breton fiddle tradition, equally at home at a house party, playing for a square dance or on stage for a concert in Bras d'Or or Boston, Scotsville or Scotland.” Kimberley is also in demand for her piano skills, accompanying musicians at home and abroad.  Kimberley holds a degree in Violin performance from Berklee College of Music and in Celtic Studies from St Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. Education is important to her, reflected in Kimberley’s dedication to teaching Cape Breton music both at home and abroad. A master at the trio of fiddling, step dancing and piano, Kimberley is a much sought after teacher for all three. Her reputation as a teacher has brought her to conduct workshops at many camps and festivals, including Alasdair Fraser’s Valley of the Moon Fiddle Camp, the Swannanoa Gathering in Asheville, North Carolina, and The American Festival of Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington to name a few.  In 2006, Kimberley released her second studio album, Falling on New Ground, a winner of the East Coast Music Award for best Roots/Traditional Album of the Year. This self-produced album reflects on her experiences and growth as a musician since the release of her first studio album Heart Behind the Bow in 2000. Falling on New Ground demonstrates Kimberley’s many talents and versatility.