About

Andrew “Finn the Fiddler” Magill has straddled the line of “fiddler” and “violinist” for the better part of his thirty years. Raised in an Irish musical household in Asheville, North Carolina he grew up studying with many of the best traditional American and Irish fiddlers at The Swannanoa Gathering music workshops. At age 18 his debut record Drive & Lift  was featured on NPR and ten years later, Magill released his 2016 double-disc concept album Roots and Branches debuting at #46 on the Folk DJ charts. Writes grammy-winner Tim O’Brien: “ He has learned from and now plays with the best in the genre. On Branches you can hear a new musical voice emerging. I’m gonna keep listening for Finn Magill.” In 2014 Finn moved to Rio de Janeiro and plunged into Brazilian choro music, studying with some of the most accomplished in the genre including Luís Barcelos, Nicolas Krassik and Pedro Paes. He gradually absorbed other Brazilian traditions such as forró, samba, and bossa nova leading to his fifth studio album  Canta, Violino!   which will be released on April 6th, 2018 on Ropeadope Records .  Canta, Violino!  ("Sing it, violin!") is the product of years of study and performance with Rio’s diverse musicians. Writes Brazilian percussion legend Airto Moreira of Weather Report and Miles Davis: “Its nice to see fresh, young musicians carrying on the traditions of Brazilian music. Finn Magill displays a love and authenticity that can fool you into thinking he is from Brazil. His style is playful and light, yet soulful and passionate. Congratulations!” In 2009, Magill received a Fulbright-MtvU Fellowship  to co-write and co-produce an album with Peter Mawanga that musically captures ten experiences of HIV/AIDS through song in Malawi, Southern Africa. The result,  Mau a Malawi: Stories of AIDS  was released on October 14th, 2011 as a multimedia show at the University of North Carolina’s Memorial Hall. Sales from the studio album Mau a Malawi are invested in programs to keep vulnerable Malawian children in school and empower them through the arts.  “The inspiring cross-cultural performances on this beautiful album “Mau A Malawi: Stories of AIDS” remind us of the human cost of this disease as well as the imperative to unite in creating an AIDS-free generation." —Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator In addition to Canta, Violino!  Magill's regularly touring projects include a duo with Irish singer & multi-instrumentalist Dave Curley ,  Brazilian Strings Trio  which is a collaboration with fellow US violinist Ted Falcon  and Brazilian guitarist Nando Duarte , and Magill's own jazz trio. He is also increasingly more sought after as a solo artist . Andrew Finn is an enthusiastic instructor and has taught fiddle/violin for over a decade at fiddle camps across the world. These include the  Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp ,  Montana Fiddle Camp , The Freight & Salvage's Fiddle Kids ,   The Acadia Trad School , the Swannanoa Gathering's  Celtic  and Fiddle Weeks, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival ,  O'Flaherty Irish Music Youth Camp ,   Common Ground on the Hill , Le Séjour de Cléguerec in Cléguerec, France and Goderich Celtic Roots . "Finn is like a music professor with endless patience and encouragement for his students." -Former Student "Andrew is an amazing fountain of information about Celtic music – what a memory! – he could be teaching at a doctoral level. It was, obviously, important to him that we all took some knowledge and skill away with us this week." -Former student "Finn was just the instructor I needed to help me feel comfortable playing in front of others, missed notes and all. I feel that now I have a real foundation to embellish my music with slurs, etc. And he made class fun." -Former Student ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ “He is very talented and hard working. He’s just an absolute natural” -  Brian Conway "A great depth and understanding of traditional Irish music"   - Mairéad Ní Mhoanaigh (Altan) Andrew Finn Magill is a leading fiddler in a new generation of musicians. He plays with incredible versatility and is accomplished in a variety of styles. More important than his technical prowess is the fact that he approaches music with deep insight, sensitivity, and respect." - Martin Hayes "A fiddler in full flight and at complete ease with the music." - Kevin Crawford (Lúnasa) "Sweet swinging fiddle playing with a deep understanding of the roots of this music, a very creative imagination and beautiful violin technique" -  Mike Marshall "Andrew Finn Magill encounters the tradition in a manner reminiscent of Keith Jarrett on The Melody At Night With You ." -  Siobhan Long

Andrew “Finn the Fiddler” Magill has straddled the line of “fiddler” and “violinist” for the better part of his thirty years. Raised in an Irish musical household in Asheville, North Carolina he grew up studying with many of the best traditional American and Irish fiddlers at The Swannanoa Gathering music workshops. At age 18 his debut record Drive & Lift was featured on NPR and ten years later, Magill released his 2016 double-disc concept album Roots and Branches debuting at #46 on the Folk DJ charts. Writes grammy-winner Tim O’Brien:

“He has learned from and now plays with the best in the genre. On Branches you can hear a new musical voice emerging. I’m gonna keep listening for Finn Magill.”

In 2014 Finn moved to Rio de Janeiro and plunged into Brazilian choro music, studying with some of the most accomplished in the genre including Luís Barcelos, Nicolas Krassik and Pedro Paes. He gradually absorbed other Brazilian traditions such as forró, samba, and bossa nova leading to his fifth studio album Canta, Violino!  which will be released on April 6th, 2018 on Ropeadope Records. Canta, Violino! ("Sing it, violin!") is the product of years of study and performance with Rio’s diverse musicians. Writes Brazilian percussion legend Airto Moreira of Weather Report and Miles Davis:

“Its nice to see fresh, young musicians carrying on the traditions of Brazilian music. Finn Magill displays a love and authenticity that can fool you into thinking he is from Brazil. His style is playful and light, yet soulful and passionate. Congratulations!”

In 2009, Magill received a Fulbright-MtvU Fellowship to co-write and co-produce an album with Peter Mawanga that musically captures ten experiences of HIV/AIDS through song in Malawi, Southern Africa. The result, Mau a Malawi: Stories of AIDS was released on October 14th, 2011 as a multimedia show at the University of North Carolina’s Memorial Hall. Sales from the studio album Mau a Malawi are invested in programs to keep vulnerable Malawian children in school and empower them through the arts. 

“The inspiring cross-cultural performances on this beautiful album “Mau A Malawi: Stories of AIDS” remind us of the human cost of this disease as well as the imperative to unite in creating an AIDS-free generation." —Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator

In addition to Canta, Violino! Magill's regularly touring projects include a duo with Irish singer & multi-instrumentalist Dave Curley, Brazilian Strings Trio which is a collaboration with fellow US violinist Ted Falcon and Brazilian guitarist Nando Duarte, and Magill's own jazz trio. He is also increasingly more sought after as a solo artist.

Andrew Finn is an enthusiastic instructor and has taught fiddle/violin for over a decade at fiddle camps across the world. These include the Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp, Montana Fiddle Camp, The Freight & Salvage's Fiddle Kids,  The Acadia Trad School, the Swannanoa Gathering's Celtic and Fiddle Weeks, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, O'Flaherty Irish Music Youth Camp,  Common Ground on the Hill, Le Séjour de Cléguerec in Cléguerec, France and Goderich Celtic Roots.

"Finn is like a music professor with endless patience and encouragement for his students." -Former Student

"Andrew is an amazing fountain of information about Celtic music – what a memory! – he could be teaching at a doctoral level. It was, obviously, important to him that we all took some knowledge and skill away with us this week." -Former student

"Finn was just the instructor I needed to help me feel comfortable playing in front of others, missed notes and all. I feel that now I have a real foundation to embellish my music with slurs, etc. And he made class fun." -Former Student

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“He is very talented and hard working. He’s just an absolute natural”

- Brian Conway

"A great depth and understanding of traditional Irish music"  

- Mairéad Ní Mhoanaigh (Altan)

Andrew Finn Magill is a leading fiddler in a new generation of musicians. He plays with incredible versatility and is accomplished in a variety of styles. More important than his technical prowess is the fact that he approaches music with deep insight, sensitivity, and respect."

- Martin Hayes

"A fiddler in full flight and at complete ease with the music."

- Kevin Crawford (Lúnasa)

"Sweet swinging fiddle playing with a deep understanding of the roots of this music, a very creative imagination and beautiful violin technique"

- Mike Marshall

"Andrew Finn Magill encounters the tradition in a manner reminiscent of Keith Jarrett on The Melody At Night With You."
- Siobhan Long