An international event to encourage creative fiddle composition
and to honour the famous Highland Perthshire fiddle player and composer, Niel Gow.

The final of the 2010 Amber Fiddle Award will be staged this autumn during the 10-day Perthshire Amber Festival.

The award, previously known as the Niel Gow International Fiddle Composition Award, was launched in 2008 to encourage creative fiddle composition and has attracted entrants from around the world - in each of the previous years, composers from across the UK and from North America have made it all the way through to the final.

The first prize will again be £1,000 plus a copy of the Niel Gow Trophy, the silver cup commissioned for the award, which resides permanently in Dunkeld. The winner will also receive a 2-year subscription to Fiddle On magazine and their tune will be printed in the magazine as part of a feature article. All finalists are presented with a commemorative certificate and further prizes will be announced in the run up to the early November final.

This year six semi-finalists will perform their own composition at the Fiddle Tree Concert in the Birnam Arts Centre, Perthshire on Wednesday November 3rd 2010 as part of a concert featuring Aly Bain, Ale Moller and Bruce Molsky. Three finalists will be chosen on that night. The three finalists will then perform at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Perthshire on Friday 5th November 2010 as part of a concert featuring Dougie MacLean and Grada(IRL). The winner will be announced and the cash prize will be presented on the night.

NIEL GOW(1727–1807), the most famous Scottish fiddler of the 18th century, was born and lived his life in the village of Inver, just outside Dunkeld in Highland Perthshire. His tunes are still widely played to this day throughout the world.

PERTHSHIRE AMBER The Dougie Maclean Festival is now in its sixth year and takes place at various venues throughout the county between Friday October 29th and Sunday November 7th 2010. For full details, and to book tickets, visit www.perthshireamber.com. 

This event is sponsored by The Fiddle Tree, Birnam CD, Fiona Ritchie Productions (Radio & Podcasts from the heart of Scotland via NPR) Butterstone Studios and Bonskeid Music.