A Québécois fiddler from Bristol, CT

Daniel Boucher is a remarkable young fiddler from Bristol, Connecticut. Growing up in a Québécois musical family, Daniel began to fiddle at age 12 along with his father Jules, who plays the spoons, accordion, and limberjack. After taking lessons from Louise Van Gorder of the Bristol Old Time Fiddlers, Daniel apprenticed to Massachusetts fiddler Donna Hebert in 2002 and Connecticut fiddler Rosaire LeHoux in 2003 under the Southern New England Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. Daniel stands out as a player because of his technical skill and his complete absorption in Québécois culture—he travels often to Quebec where his parents have kept a second home, collects old songs, and plays often with New England musicians such as the Beaudoin family in Vermont. Daniel composes his own fiddle tunes as well, and has become a master teacher himself. His love for Québécois traditions has led to great programming in Connecticut—Daniel created Jam Francais, a popular fiddle jam series, and organizes legendary maple sugar parties every April.

In 2011 Daniel was selected to perform at the American Folklife Center as part of its Homegrown: Music of America series, and also at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. He also performed at Bangor Maine Folk Festival and at the CHS.