English Concertina & Northumbrian Smallpipes

Alistair Anderson has been at the forefront of traditional music for 30 years. Internationally acknowledged as the master of the English Concertina, he has taken the music of Northumberland to new audiences around the world, touring extensively throughout Europe and has no less than 35 tours of America to his credit.

As well as championing the traditional music and musicians of the area Anderson has a growing reputation as a composer of new music rooted in the local traditions. His first major composition Steel Skies was described by the Guardian as "the finest recent original contribution to the tradition of English music ", while On Cheviot Hills, a suite for strings and concertina, commissioned by leading classical string quartet The Lindays, was described as "one of the years musical highlights" by the magazine Rock & Reel. His most recent work, a joint composition with jazz trombonist Annie Whitehead, has been chosen by the Arts Council Contemporary Touring Network to tour the country early in 2003.

Other Roles

In addition to his work as a musician and composer Anderson is committed to encouraging young people to become actively involved in music. He is artistic director of Folkworks, which is now nationally recognised as the leading development agency in traditional music. Folkworks, one of the founding partners in the new Music Centre Gateshead, runs summer schools, in-service training for teachers, a huge range of schools projects as well as organising tours of the very finest performers from round the work. Anderson worked with Newcastle University developing a new Batchelor of Music degree course in folk and traditional music. The course, the first of its kind in England, started last September and, with strong links to similar courses across Europe, looks set to enhance the north-east's international status as an important centre for traditional music.