Shauncey Ali Quartet

At the intersection of tradition and innovation, Madison-based fiddler Shauncey Ali crafts evocative melodies and arrangements that feel timeless, adventurous and refreshingly new.  He is an award-winning instrumentalist, composer and educator who has performed, recorded and taught in the US, Canada, Italy, Spain and Scotland.  Described as “precise, thoughtful and unexpected,” Shauncey’s voice draws from the deep wells of American and Celtic fiddle traditions, a love of improvisation, extensive experience in classical orbits and sensibilities shaped by pop, rock and Scandinavian music. 

The Shauncey Ali Quartet features Hans Holzen on guitar, Nicholas Vanhaute on mandolin and David Havas on upright bass.  

Hans Holzen grew up playing fiddle and guitar in Nashville where he was heavily influenced by traditional music and in close contact with some of Music City’s finest musicians.  After studying jazz performance, Hans toured with Americana and folk acts including Carrie Rodriguez and Chip Taylor (Wild Thing, Angel of the Morning) and violinist/composer Mark O’Connor.   

Nicholas Vanhaute is a multi-instrumentalist who picked up the guitar at the age of 10 and never looked back.  Originally from Arkansas, Nicholas fell in love with the raw authenticity of acoustic music in college and has become a fixture of the Madison bluegrass scene.  

David Havas was a bassist before becoming a professor of psychology.  His musical travels have taken him from the altitudes of the Colorado Rockies to the valleys of the Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains. Having toured with legendary Tennessee old-time string band, the Reeltime Travelers, he now brings a seasoned soulfulness, sensitivity and insight to his bass playing.     

Together, the Shauncey Ali Quartet delivers a chamber-style interplay that is virtuosic yet accessible; rooted in tradition yet unbound by convention.​

The evening includes a special feature of youth performers from MadFiddle.

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