Some people are born to play music.
By the age of three, Ivonne Hernandez was playing violin by ear, everything from her mother’s favourite Maritime reels to her father’s Chilean folk music roots. A child prodigy, she soon was playing guitar, piano, cello, flute, and percussion before joining Daniel Lapp’s BC Fiddle Orchestra.
While still in her pre-teens, Hernandez played on the Orchestra’s Fiddleharmonic CD, and before 60,000 at a Commonwealth Games performance with the Crash Test Dummies.
At 13, Hernandez was the youngest member of the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra and formed Fiddlemania, a dual-violin band with her younger sister, Kalissa.
She was the Merritt Old Time Fiddlers’ provincial champion for two years running before becoming a judge at the event as a 15-year-old. Hernandez is the reigning five-time Grand North American fiddle champion.
The young musician has been featured on television and radio, at folk music and fiddle festivals around the world, and played for the Governor General of Canada.
Her debut recording, Playing With Fire, garnered critical raves, and in 2006 Hernandez released In Time (Warner Music Canada).
Hernandez has mastered Canada’s traditional fiddle music as well as classical, klezmer, Scottish and Irish fiddling, combining all these influences in her recordings and performances.
You can find out more about her and hear some of her music at www.ivonnehernandez.com.
She is well-known in B.C., having been born and raised in Victoria. She resides in Boston, but will be in B.C. in January and has kindly agreed to come all the way to Merville to participate in the popular house concert series, with a performance Jan. 15 at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $20, $10 for children, and this includes hot drinks and our famous dessert buffet. All the money raised goes directly to the performer.
Because the concert takes place in a private home, seating is limited. To reserve tickets, ring 250-337-5337.