New World String Project - Celtic, Nordic & American Folk on Unique Instruments

The New World String Project is a brand new collaboration that celebrates extraordinary instruments and joyous music rooted in the Nordic, Celtic and Americana traditions.
featuring John Weed (fiddle), Aryeh Frankfurter (nyckelharpa, Celtic harp) Lisa Lynne (cittern, Celtic harp) and Stuart Mason (guizouki, guitar). This multi-instrumental quartet presents a thrilling, melodically exuberant musical ride.

New World String Project brings together four mighty players who weave a shimmering sonic tapestry from Celtic, Nordic and American folk traditions. Fiddler John Weed and guitarist Stuart Mason also play together in the long-running Celtic band Molly’s Revenge. And Celtic harp master Lisa Lynne, who gained international renown via recordings and tours with the label Windham Hill, often performs in a duo with NWSP-mate Aryeh Frankfurter, an expert on harp and Swedish nyckelharpa. Together, these intrepid string explorers take audiences on a thrilling, melodically exuberant musical ride.

Their unique hybrid weaves music rooted in the Celtic, Nordic and American folk traditions. Ancient and modern sounds mingle freely on Swedish nyckelharpa, Celtic harp, fiddle, guitar, cittern, guizouki, and more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObLi_2hnG60

John Weed is a classically-trained violinist who’s spent the last 20 years immersed in various fiddle styles. John lived in Ireland in 2000 and taught fiddle workshops at the Flowing Tide International Music School in Doonbeg, County Clare. He has honed his skills since, attending the Frankie Kennedy Winter School in Dunlewey, County Donegal where he studied with Ciaran O’Maonaigh and Dermot Mcloughlin. With an affinity for American fiddle styles, John explores the connections between Irish, Scottish, and old time fiddle. He is a member of Molly's Revenge amongst other notable groups.

Aryeh Frankfurter is a renowned Celtic harper and multi-instrumentalist who went from virtuosic progressive rock violin to intricate Swedish folk and Celtic Music. He began with Classical violin at the age of three, and studied music throughout his life, becoming a street performer while earning a masters in Philosophy. He has 17 albums to his credit, works on film and television scores as composer and arranger, and continues to teach himself to play a variety of instruments most recently the rarely seen Swedish Nyckelharpa. www.Lionharp.com

Lisa Lynne is a multi-instrumentalist and performer who has gained worldwide recognition for her original music featuring her Celtic Harp. She is widely acclaimed for composing memorable and heartwarming melodies on the Windham Hiill/Sony music labels that have repeatedly placed in the Top 10 & Top 20 on the Billboard New age music charts. Her work in Therapeutic music has gained recognition from NBC, CNN, and the Wall Street Journal. She was recently named one of the 50 most inspiring women by Los Angeles Magazine. http://www.LisaLynne.com

Stuart Mason is a veteren artist known for his authentic covals and nimble skills on mandola and banjo. He has won awards for traditional singing (Goleta Old-Time Fiddler’s Convention), mandola (Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest), and songwriting (West Coast Songwriter’s Association). He is a member of the Celtic band Molly’s Revenge, and has performed at festivals in China, Scotland, Ireland, and many of the United States. He also tours with old time bluegrass band Little Black Train, singer Colleen Raney, and in a duo with fiddler John Weed. www.StuartMasonMusic.com