Daniel Gervais of Edmonton, AB, has won first prize and the title of Canadian Grand Master at the 2011
Annual Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition held in Ottawa on Saturday, August 27. Daniel is the
first-ever Alberta fiddler to win the Canadian Grand Masters (CGM), the second Western Canadian fiddler to
win the CGM, and only the third fiddler outside Ontario to win the CGM since the inaugural competition in
1990. The first-place winner receives $3,500 and a trophy sponsored by the Renfrew County Fiddlers.
The mandate of the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Association, which hosts the Canadian Grand Masters,
is to promote and preserve Canadian traditional fiddling by sponsoring an annual fiddle camp and a national
competition that recognizes Canada's top fiddlers. Fiddlers from every province and territory compete, by
invitation only, for the title of Canadian Grand Master. For the preliminaries, contestants play a waltz, jig, reel,
and tune of their choice, in any order, within a five-minute limit. For the finals, contestants have five minutes
to play four contrasting tunes of their choice in any number of the recognized fiddle styles, including Country, Old Time, Swing, Métis, Bluegrass, and French Canadian. Daniel Gervais's winning finals set featured "Lovers Waltz" (Frankie Rodgers), "La grondeuse" (Trad.), "Oh, Lady, Be Good!" (George and Ira Gershwin), and "Boil 'em Cabbage Down" (Trad.).
Originally from St. Paul, AB, Daniel Gervais plays a variety of fiddle styles as well as classical violin. He counts Calvin Vollrath and George Andrix among his most important early teachers. Along with a busy schedule of performing, recording, and teaching, Daniel is currently completing a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Alberta, where he studies with Dr. Guillaume Tardif. Daniel's numerous awards include the City of Edmonton Arts and Culture Award (2007) and the Prix Sylvie Van Brabant-Excellence en création artistique (2010) from Regroupement artistique francophone de l'Alberta. He has toured extensively with Zéphyr, a French-Canadian dance group, and appears frequently on radio and television. Daniel has six albums to his credit, including two solo albums, Flying Fiddle (2003) and Endless Possibilities (2005). He is a founding member of Trad'badour, EclecTrip, and Hot Club Edmonton. Hot Club Edmonton's debut CD was awarded "Instrumental Album of the Year" at the Western Canadian Music Awards in 2010. Daniel is active as a clinician and teacher throughout Western Canada, most notably at the Calvin Vollrath Fiddle Camp, the John Arcand Fiddle Fest, and the Pelletier Guitar and Music Camp. Proud to be a contributor to the fiddle scene in Alberta, Daniel currently serves as an executive director of the Alberta String Association. In September he will begin teaching fiddle at Grant MacEwan University. He is a frequent participant in events sponsored by folkwaysAlive!, most recently with Matt Glaser of the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Read what the Edmonton Journal had to say about "Canadian Grand Master Daniel Gervais!"