Vàgr

About the Artist Named for the Old Norse word meaning "sea" or "wave," Vàgr is Claudia Edwards (fiddle) and Joanna Stark (cello). Performing original compositions and historical Scottish music, the duo are passionate about crafting programmes centred around migration, voyage, and storytelling. In 2023, Vàgr was featured at Glasgow University's Curious Traveller's Conference, and in Kickstart Opera's Coffee Cadenzas Concert Series in West Kilbride. 2024 saw the duo at Celtic Connections, St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, the Crieff Folk Club, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 2026 sees the upcoming release of the duo’s first EP, featuring almost entirely of original Scottish-inspired music. Joanna Stark is an eclectic musician from North-East Fife. Her versatility and interests take her between performing classical/contemporary, folk and jazz music as well as composing original music. She recently completed her MMus in Performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, studying cello with Alison Wells and Martin Storey. Joanna’s passion for interdisciplinary arts has led to numerous collaborations with artists/composers across Scotland as well as performing her own works with cello-fiddle duo Vàgr. Joanna also performs as a member of No Borders String Trio (Live Music Now Scotland artists). Claudia Edwards is a Florida-born fiddler living in Glasgow, Scotland. She uses her dual background as a classical and folk musician to support her enthusiastic approach to Scottish, Irish, and American music, as well as her own compositions. Claudia graduated with an MMus in Traditional Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in June 2022, after earning her undergraduate degree at the Florida State University College of Music in 2020.

Programme Description We perform early Scottish traditional music and original compositions with contemporary accompaniment, utilising the historically-based cello-fiddle duo medium. We love to create multi-layered experiences through music, integrating elements of history and culture, and incorporating various artistic mediums like poetry and prose. Exploring different styles and techniques, we have a particular interest in the work of Scottish composers hailing from the "Golden Age" of Scottish fiddling, including William Marshall (1748-1833) and Robert Mackintosh (1745-1807). There is something about being close to water, to those transitional places between land and sea, that brings a sense of awe. As a duo, we write a lot about voyages and bodies of water: places of crossing; places of longing; places that take as much as they give. We write about people and our own lived experiences, about stories both true and fictional, whilst drawing inspiration from our shared love of historical Scottish music, Scandinavian traditional instruments, and the natural landscapes of Scotland. We hope that you can find a little bit of your own story through these tunes, and the stories that accompany them.

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