Laura Cortese is an American singer, songwriter, and

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

r. She was born in San Francisco and attended

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. She currently resides in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. Cortese regularly performs solo, but usually with her band Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards, with whom she released two albums, the first of which was ''California Calling'' which debuted in 2017. She has also performed with

Tao Rodríguez-Seeger Tao Rodríguez-Seeger (born 1972) is an American contemporary folk musician. A founder of The Mammals, he is the grandson of folk musician Pete Seeger. He plays banjo, guitar, harmonica and sings in English and Spanish. Biography Rodríguez-Seege ...

in the Anarchist Orchestra, and with

Hanneke Cassel Hanneke Cassel (born April 14, 1978) is an American folk violinist. She was raised in Oregon and graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance at Berklee College of Music in 2000. Hanneke is the 1997 United States National Scottish Fid ...

and Lissa Schneckenburger in Halali. In the past she has played with acts including

Uncle Earl Uncle Earl is an American old-time music group, formed in 2000 by KC Groves and Jo Serrapere. Currently the lineup consists of four women, all of whom share vocal duties: KC Groves, Kristin Andreassen, Abigail Washburn, and Rayna Gellert. They h ...

Band of Horses Band of Horses is an American rock band formed in 2004 in Seattle, Washington. Led by singer-songwriter Ben Bridwell, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes, the band's current line-up also includ ...

and

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

. She is also a co-founder of the

Boston Celtic Music Festival Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

Laura Cortese And The Dance Cards

* ''Bitter Better'' (2020) * ''California Calling'' (2017)

Solo Albums And Various Collaborations

* ''All in Always'' (2016) * ''Into the Dark'' (2013) * ''Acoustic Project'' (2010) * ''Bad Year: Single'' (2008) * ''Blow the Candle Out'' (2007) * ''Even the Lost Creek'' (2006) * ''Hush'' (2004)

References

External links

Official Laura Cortese website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cortese, Laura American fiddlers Berklee College of Music alumni Living people Singers from San Francisco Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Songwriters from San Francisco 21st-century violinists