
Stewart Hardy is an internationally-acclaimed performer, composer and teacher with numerous recordings and broadcast credits to his name. Based in the North East of England, a love for the traditional music of Northumberland and Scotland shines through his repertoire and influences his own compositions. Stewart’s teaching is diverse, and has covered many projects from international workshops to the Newcastle University folk degree course. He spent six years as an influential member of the very popular John Wright Band and has toured throughout the world playing traditional folk, pop, rock, jazz, country and western swing music.
Woolsington Strings

Woolsington Strings will be sharing a short, informal concert of folk tunes with a winter connection, arranged for fiddles and viola on Sunday 21st December at 3.15 pm in Wall Village Hall. Free event!
A short performance followed by tea/coffee and mince pies at around 4.00 pm. No need to book, just come along. Doors open at 3.00 pm. Donations welcome for the village hall.

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“Beautifully and stylishly played, good technique serves the music, never being used for mere flash.”
Tom Bell-Richards, reviewing Hawthorn’s Sweeter Shade in Fiddle On.
“Hardy has built up an enviable international reputation for his fiddle playing, venturing easily across genre boundaries… Whether drawing from the Scottish and Irish piping repertoire, from Tyneside’s rich heritage of tunes, or forging their own compositions from these traditions, Hardy and McLaughlin show themselves to be players of immense empathy and spirit.”
Oz Hardwick, reviewing Root 2 in R2.
“Hardy’s fiddling is technically nigh perfect, and his solo performance is enough to hold the attention for over an hour on this CD”
Alex Monaghan, reviewing Hawthorn’s Sweeter Shade in Living Tradition.
“Hardy brings a terrific range of colourful expression to his playing, from the gentle, poignant lilt of his slow airs, through the slippery hornpipe bowing that lights up The Locomotive and the swooping, steely poise of his own Thunderfoot.”
Rob Adams, reviewing Root 2 Herald Scotland.
“Stewart Hardy is pre-eminent among the many fine fiddle tutors with whom I’ve worked. His teaching is characterised by meticulous, clearly-focused preparation, effective structure, attention to detail, rigour, positive encouragement, good humour, patience, kindness and care. He has demanding yet reasonable expectations of his students, and makes sure his workshops are enjoyable, purposeful and productive. Thus his students, at all levels, become better and more confident players. He is the complete professional.”
Folkworks Education Director (1993-2007)
Recordings
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Upcoming Events
Nov7Friall-day JSArts Fiddle Technique @ Rydal HallJSArts Fiddle Technique @ Rydal HallNov 7 – Nov 9 all-day
JSArts Fiddle Technique 7th – 9th November 2025 Rydal Hall, Ambleside LA22 9LX 3.00 pm start and finish time. £402 fully inclusive (except bar drinks) Join Stewart in the beautiful surroundings of Rydal Hall in...Nov15Sat7:00 pm Music in our Roots 2025 – TFA & ... @ St George's ChurchMusic in our Roots 2025 – TFA & ... @ St George's ChurchNov 15 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tyneside Fiddle Alliance and Phoenix Chamber Folk Ensemble present Music in our Roots 2025 A further celebration of new and old folk melodies from the North East and beyond, by two of the region’s leading...Dec21Sun3:15 pm Seasonal Melodies & Mince Pies @ Wall Village HallSeasonal Melodies & Mince Pies @ Wall Village HallDec 21 @ 3:15 pm – 4:30 pmWoolsington Strings will be sharing a short, informal concert of folk tunes with a winter connection, arranged for fiddles and viola on Sunday 21st December at 3.15 pm in Wall Village Hall. Free event! A... Facebook Feed
5 days ago
We start back at NEFS on Zoom on Wednesday! 🎻🎧🥳This content isn't available at the moment
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it, or it's been deleted.2 weeks ago
Woolsington Strings will be sharing some of our tunes with a winter connection, arranged for fiddle & viola, in December. Save the date - there will be mince pies! 😃Our lovely string ensemble are planning a short concert of some of our winter-themed tunes in the village hall - followed by mince pies! Free event, just come along.🎻🎶
Woolsington Strings will be sharing a short, informal concert of folk tunes with a winter connection, arranged for fiddles and viola on Sunday 21st December at 3.15 pm in Wall Village Hall.
Free event! A short performance followed by tea/coffee and mince pies at around 4.00 pm. No need to book, just come along. Doors open at 3.00 pm.
Our 12-piece string ensemble enjoys creating and playing arrangements of folk tunes in a variety of styles, under the guidance of the wonderful Stewart Hardy Music. We enjoyed our little concert in June, and thought we would open our doors again and share some seasonal music with friends and the local community. A retiring collection will be made for Wall Village Hall funds. We hope you can join us. ... See MoreSee Less
North East Fiddle School is with Stewart Hardy Music and Grace Smith Music.2 weeks ago
🎻🎄 NEFS Winter Residential 2025We are delighted to be holding another Winter Residential Weekend at the lovely Shepherds Dene Retreat Centre on 5th – 7th December 2025. We are planning a relaxed social weekend, with lots of fiddle playing, including our regular Saturday Workshop day with Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith.
Stewart and Grace will also be with us all weekend, joining in with the sessions, providing inspiration and support, and teaching extra workshops on the Sunday morning.
You can come just for the Saturday workshop, or add dinner and the evening sessions, the Sunday morning workshops, and bed & breakfast on either or both nights - entirely up to you! Details of all the options are on the website. We hope you can join us 🥰 ... See MoreSee Less
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30 Years Collection Bill Elliot Bottle Bank Band CD Launch Community Strings Fiddle Day Frank McLaughlin George Welch Graham Dixon Halsway Manor HISS Holly & Ivy James Hill Jimmy's Fiddle JSArts Maddison's Thread Mick West Trio Minstrelsy Morpeth Gathering North East Fiddle School Northumbrian Session Shop Solo TFA The Tune Vault Tyneside Fiddle Alliance










