Fiddler Hanneke Cassel has announced new album, Infinite Brightness, which will arrive on April 14th, 2023. The all-instrumental album will arrive via her own Cassel Records label and first track, “Evacuation Day,” arrives today.
Rooted in influences from Scotland’s Isle of Skye and Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton, Infinite Brightness taps musical traditions “carried to North America by immigrants and passed down through generations.” Oregon native Cassel became steeped in those traditions early in life, winning competitions at a young age in Scottish fiddle. She went on to earn a degree in violin performance at Berklee College of Music, and now lives in Boston with her husband, cellist Mike Block.
In addition to serving as a guest instructor at Berklee, Cassel teaches at various fiddle camps and schools, and has performed throughout North America and in Europe, New Zealand, Australia, China and India.
Her bandmates include Keith Murphy, who plays guitar and harmonium on the album, Jenna Moynihan, who contributes five-string fiddle, and Tristan Clarridge on cello. Infinite Brightness also includes guitarist Yann Falquet. The album might also surprise fans by including Cassel on piano.
On Infinite Brightness, which Cassel co-Produced with Murphy, Cassel focuses on maturity while maintaining playfulness. Cassel will celebrate the release with a series of performances.
Album release shows:
April 13 – Caffè Lena, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
April 14 – Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport, Mass.
April 15 – Blackstone River Theatre, Cumberland, R.I.
April 16 – The Dance Hall, Kittery, Maine
May 12 – First Church in Belmont, Belmont, Mass.
May 13 – The Cultural Center of Cape Cod, Yarmouth, Mass.
