Home Schedule Tickets Getting Here History Links        Concert Under the Stars     MikeHallMusic.com Michael Hall Born and raised in Saint John, New Brunswick, Mike Hall was introduced to music by his father, a man with a strong passion for his Acadian roots. Mike was displaying those roots with an Acadian style on the accordion by the time he was eight, and had begun his exposure to Celtic music by listening to a variety of Scottish and Irish recordings. Mike received his first fiddle at age thirteen and quickly became enamored with the music of Cape Breton. Last year he released his own debut recording, “A legacy not to be forgotten," backed by Joel Chaisson on piano. Mike now lives in Cape Breton, but fans of Cape Breton fiddle everywhere can explore the unbelievable drive he brings to the tradition. As Dan MacDonald of the Cape Breton Post put it, "He has a lift to his playing that makes you take notice. He had the dancers on the floor early and they stayed there all night appreciating every note of every tune."       Hilda Chiasson-Cormier Hilda Chiasson-Cormier Is one of the most sought after of the current generation of piano players. She has played on many recordings and most often performs with her husband, J. P. Cormier. Hilda is a native of Cheticamp where she has played for dances and recorded since she was a teenager. She has recorded with Cape Breton musicians Jerry Holland, Carl MacKenzie, Ray Ellis and many others as well as touring throughout North America and Europe.     Watch on YouTube Bonnie Lass of Bonaccord Medley w Buddy MacMaster Douglas Cameron Now at the age of 15, Douglas has been turning heads in the Cape Breton fiddling community since the last 6 years. Trained by dedicated teachers like Bonnie Jean MacDonald, Margie and Dawn Beaton and Andrea Beaton, Douglas has absorbed and then exuded the proud history of the Cape Breton style of Celtic fiddling. Born and raised in the northern Inverness County community of Belle Cote, he has been playing in concerts since the age of 5 on piano, then the fiddle since the age of 9. Standing ovations have erupted in venues like the Celtic Colours International Festival, a Strathspey Place ECMA Showcase performance in Halifax at the Old Triangle in 2007, and many concerts around Cape Breton Island. He already plays many of the larger square dances in Cape Breton. J.P Cormier took an intense interest in Douglas' art and worked with him to record Douglas' first CD this winter. On the CD, Douglas collaborates with both well established performers (like JP Cormier, Hilda Chiasson-Cormier and Joey Beaton) and some new rising stars (like Marc Boudreau and Colin Grant). He also includes cuts with his father, Lawrence, and his grandmother Catherine (Rankin) Cameron. The CD shows Douglas honouring the tradition handed down to him by his teachers and the many great Cape Breton fiddlers that have shaped the great influence of the Cape Breton fiddle.     Watch on YouTube Marc at Celtic Music Centre Marc Boudreau 23 year old Marc Boudreau has just released his first CD entitled “Steppin’ it Up” and this young musician is doing just that. Boudreau began step dancing at a very young age and then took on the fiddle when he received it as a Christmas gift at the age of 8. He has since played in concert halls, festivals, ceilidhs with many fiddling icons including Natalie MacMaster, Ashley MacIsaac and Buddy MacMaster. This Cheticamp native has also had the opportunity to play with the Nova Scotia Symphony and was featured on the 1998 East Coast Music Awards at Ashley’s kitchen party which was televised by CBC. Boudreau also played for “Fiddles of the World” in Halifax in 1999. His passion lies in traditional fiddle tunes. His new album features Dave MacIsaac on guitar, Joel Chiasson on piano and JP makes a guest appearance on mandolin for one of the tracks. The creation of this album has been a wonderful experience for the young musician and he, along with all fans of the fiddle anxiously await his second album.     Pius MacIsaac Pius MacIsaac an artist hailing from Mabou, Cape Breton, is a man who shares his love of music graciously with his fans and inspires all who believe that faith and dedication can allow for triumph over adversity. He was given guitar at age 13, and began chording to his father's fiddling. Three decades later he is still playing. Now a gifted composer, Pius has written several tunes which he performs on his violin and mandolin as well as his guitar. He is a sought-after artist in Cape Breton and can be seen accompanying many of the island's top fiddlers with his driving, percussive guitar rhythms, most often with his nephew Ian MacDougall. Regularly seen performing as an accompanist at the parish hall dances that intrigue so many of the island's visitors, Pius also has played as a solo artist at numerous concerts such as the Broad Cove Scottish Concert, where he performed with his peers Dave MacIsaac, Gordie Sampson, Scott Macmillian, and Brian Doyle during the "Guitar Summit" segment. Pius captivates and immediately wins over admirers who are in awe of his uncommon ability. In 2003, Pius was able to realise another dream when his first recording "Music From the Heart" was released. Acclaimed and supported by radio airplay, "Music from the Heart" garnered Pius a following of a larger fan base and he accepted performance opportunities away from his native Cape Breton Island. He has played as far west as Alberta and as far east as St. John's Newfoundland, where his East Coast Music Association performance at the 2004 conference won "best showcase". In 2005 Pius recorded his second album "The Greatest Gift" and he continues to share his special gift with an ever-growing audience.