Pear is gaining heavy accolades as one of the best crossover country bands in Canada.
The pair who makes up the sweet and gritty signature sound of Pear is Lynae and Denis Dufresne. Pear will play Aug. 4 and 5 at the Filberg Festival in Comox.
Denis Dufresne began his journey with the violin at the age of four, under the tutelage of William van der Sloot. Fourteen years of classical violin training allowed Denis to acquire the technique and skills he would need to become considered one of the premier fiddle players in the country.
To further his education, Denis then attended Capilano College in North Vancouver and earned a degree in Jazz Performance. Afterwards Denis was invited to join Barrage, where he developed skills in the Celtic, country, and world styles of music. It also allowed him to see a great majority of the globe by touring and playing in many different countries.
After leaving Barrage, Denis was contacted by Native Canadian actor/musician Tom Jackson to join his production of the Huron Carole. This allowed Denis to perform with some of Canada's top musical talent in the country, jazz and rock idioms.
After meeting and performing with country music mega stars Michelle Wright and Aaron Pritchett, Denis quickly became one of the top call multi-instrumentalists in the country music scene. He has been nominated for two Gemini Awards, and a Canadian Country Music Award for Fiddle Player of the Year.
Lynae Dufresne began her professional music career at the age of six, making her first recording, performing for numerous corporate events, and gracing the stage as the opening act for the Lawrence Welk Show.
At the age of seven, Lynae was the featured soloist, playing Vivaldi's Concerto in A minor, with a full orchestra. By the age of 13, Lynae was a featured performer and supporting member of the Dick Dale and Ava Barber show in Tennessee.
Lynae cut her musical chops in fiddling and violin competitions, including the prestigious Grandmasters Fiddling Championship in Idaho. At the age of 18, Lynae came to Canada to front and help create Barrage, one of the most successful fiddle acts in the world.
As lead vocalist, fiddler, and spokeswoman, she toured many countries and has been seen on PBS, CMT, and MTV. Currently residing in Calgary, Lynae is one of Western Canada's sought-after session vocalists. She also fronts Pear with her husband Denis.
After a successful tour of China, and numerous high-profile performances, Pear was asked to perform at the Canadian Country Music Awards Industry gala in 2011, where they received a standing ovation from some of North America's biggest industry professionals. Following this enthusiastic response, Pear released their first CD.
Accompanying Pear at the Filberg Festival will be the extraordinary Craig Bignell. A drummer-percussionist full time, a banjo player part time, Craig has played with Bela Fleck, Vassar Clements, and Sam Bush, just to name a few.
The family-friendly Filberg Festival celebrates excellence in all forms of arts and crafts and music with over 100 juried crafts booths, plus music on two stages, plus a great kids' area, and yummy concession booths. The objective of the festival is to raise the money needed to restore and maintain the nine-acre Filberg property.
Tickets are $15 daily or $40 for the weekend pass. For more information, go to www.filbergfestival.com.
— Filberg Festival