Tatiana Hargreaves - Hard-Driving Fiddle

As a fiddler, Tatiana Hargreaves has done more before the age of 25 than most fiddlers do in an entire lifetime.

- Matt Merta

Moreover, even at her young age, she is considered an expert in old time fiddling by her peers, mentors, and fan base.

Tatiana has the resume to back it up. She is a winner of the Clifftop Appalachian Stringband Festival Fiddle Contest, recorded her first album at the age of 13 (2009’s Started Out to Ramble), and has worked with such music luminaries as Mark O’Connor, Darol Anger, Bruce Molsky, and Laurie Lewis, to name a few. Much of this fiddling success has come from having a high interest in the instrument at a very young age.

“I lived in a very musical house,” she explains. “Both of my parents were musicians and we were listening to all different types of music around the house. My brother plays as well (Alex Hargreaves of Turtle Island Quartet), so as a little sister I always looked up to him. I got my first fiddle when I was about 3 years old. I started out on fiddle doing the Suzuki method as well as fiddle lessons, mostly Texas-style fiddle stuff. My dad was playing bluegrass as well.”

Although she studied chamber music and orchestra through high school, her interest in roots-based fiddling began to take over in her early stages, thanks to a chance meeting with Tristan and Tashina Clarridge at the annual fiddle convention in Weiser, Idaho. “Once they started showing me that there was a whole different world out there, I became inspired by Brittany Haas, Natalie MacMaster, and Hanneke Cassel in my pre-teen years. As I got older, I started listening to more old time fiddling.” The Clarridge siblings even convinced Tatiana’s parents to host a small fiddle camp at their home.