Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

Ashley MacIsaac is a Juno Award–winning fiddler and one of the most acclaimed musicians ever to emerge from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Famed for his intensity, authenticity, and boundary-pushing creativity, Ashley has been electrifying audiences since childhood. Mentored by legendary local fiddlers, he cut his teeth performing in community halls, clubs, barns, and kitchens across the Island, where his reputation as a prodigious young talent quickly took root.

His landmark album Hi How Are You Today? in the mid-1990s marked a turning point — bringing Cape Breton fiddle to the mainstream, earning national and international accolades, and propelling Ashley onto major stages around the world. From that point forward, he became both a torchbearer for tradition and a bold innovator, fearlessly blending Celtic roots with rock, pop, and electronic influences.

Ashley’s career highlights are as varied as they are impressive: touring with Philip Glass and The Chieftains, performing at Olympic opening ceremonies, and receiving an honorary doctorate from UCB. He has collaborated with a wide spectrum of artists and producers, including Andrew Greenwalt and Kevin Killen (U2, Peter Gabriel, Elvis Costello), further expanding his sound with layered instrumentation, electronic loops, and cross-genre experimentation. The result has been a body of work that bridges tradition and modernity while staying unmistakably true to his Cape Breton roots.

Never content to rest on past success, Ashley continues to reinvent himself. In 2016, he teamed up with drummer Jay “Sticks” Andrews to release FDLEЯ, an adventurous mix of Celtic and electronic dance music that showcased his appetite for innovation.

ashleymacisaac.com