Hildaland, a duo featuring Scottish fiddler Louise Bichan and American mandolinist Ethan Setiawan, performs Saturday, Nov 22 at 7:30 p.m. at The Lucky Wolf in Paw Paw. The Warren & Flick duo also shares the concert.
Setiawan, originally from Goshen, Indiana, traces his musical journey back to the Goshen Old-Time Enthusiasts jam sessions at the Goshen Farmers Market. After starting on classical cello at age eight, he discovered folk music and switched to mandolin around age 12, attracted by its versatility and similar tuning to the cello.
The mandolinist studied with jazz legend Don Stiernberg in Chicago before attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he met Bichan. "It's a great illustration of the musical things that happen at Berklee," Setiawan says, "a Scottish fiddle player and a mandolin player from the Midwest."
Working as a duo requires particular creativity and attention to dynamics, Setiawan explains. "You can only get so loud, right?" he notes. "So for me, the duo becomes about finding what's the quietest you can be, so that your ceiling is kind of set."
The pair releases their new EP, Fiddle Tunes, on Friday. The recording explores traditional material, including the "C Tunes" set pairing a Scottish strathspey and an old-time tune, "Graf Spee," which are related.
Setiawan plays a Monteleone mandolin crafted by builder John Monteleone in Long Island, New York. Monteleone developed his craft studying vintage Gibson instruments, including those designed by Lloyd Loar in Kalamazoo.
Swedish music may feature during Saturday's performance, as it connects all four musicians appearing. Physical CDs will be available at the show.
Advance tickets are available at this link.
This interview was summarized by Claude AI and edited by the author.
