Westminster faculty and alumni to play in Scottish Fiddling recital

The Westminster College Scottish Fiddling group will present its faculty recital at 3 p.m., Sunday, April 3, at Wallace Memorial Chapel on Westminster’s Campus.

Led by Dr. Melinda Crawford Perttu, associate professor of music, the recital will feature traditional and original music for the Scottish fiddle.

Crawford Perttu is an established U.S National Fiddling Champion and has performed recitals throughout the United States, including a recital for the Lord Lyon of Scotland, plus many other large Scottish cultural events.

She is also the founder and director of the Strathgheny School of Scottish Fiddling at Westminster College and is the author of “A Violinist’s Guide to Scottish Fiddling,” published by Mel Bay, an American musician and publisher known for music education books. She also directs Westminster’s Scottish string ensemble Ceòl na Teud.

Joining Crawford Perttu will be Dr. Daniel Perttu, professor of composition and theory, on piano; nationally acclaimed percussionist Randy Wothke; and John Daniels ’21 on the bass.

Wothke picked up Scottish drumming as a hobby while going to school at the University of Huston, graduating in 1985. Since then Wothke has won best overseas band at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as founding “The Scottish Rogues,” who later became the Grammy nominated group “The Rogues.”

Daniels was a part of every large ensemble offered at Westminster during his undergraduate career, as well as several community orchestras. After graduating, Daniels has stayed active in the community as a member of the Pennsylvania Collegiate Music Educators Association, American String Teachers Association and the International Society of Bassists.

Crawford Perttu, who joined the faculty in 2011, earned her undergraduate degree from Duquesne University, while continuing her education at The Ohio State University for her master’s and Ph.D. degrees.

Perttu, who joined Westminster in 2008, earned his undergraduate degree from Williams College, both an M.M and M.A. from Kent State University, and a D.M.A from The Ohio State University.

The recital is free and open to the public.

For more information on the performance, contact Dr. Crawford Perttu at perttumh@westminster.edu.

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