Bryan Gear

Described by Aly Bain as 'one of Shetland's finest young fiddle players' Bryan Gear has been entertaining audiences and inspiring players for many years. A student of the late great Willie Hunter, Bryan has grown to embody much of the great man himself. Indeed, it is probably the greatest accolade that many prominent Shetland musicians now recognise him as Willie's worthy successor in the field of Shetland traditional fiddle music.

Accompanying Bryan this year is Martin Henderson who plays with Bryan in the Cullivoe Dance Band and also Local spree band Rack n' Ruin..

Bryan's 'Kebister Head' album, released in late 2008, was one of the most eagerly awaited Shetland albums at the time. The album was recorded with  Violet Tulloch. who is widely know for her style of Shetland accompaniment. The album was named after a tune composed by Bryan's late grand-father Bobby Peterson, a fiddler who had a significant influence on his playing. The tracks reflect Bryan's love of all good traditional styles and tunes, from Shetland through to Canadian reels, hornpipes and walzes.