Originally from Corvallis, Oregon, Rebecca Lomnicky began playing classical violin and piano at age five, discovering Scottish fiddle music only a few years later. In 2005, she won the Junior Division of the U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Competition, and in 2006 recorded her first CD, The Call. Rebecca has been the recipient of many awards throughout her career, the most prestigious being in 2009 when she won the invitation-only 20th Annual Glenfiddich International Scottish Fiddle Championship held at Blair Castle in Scotland. She has also been awarded the Ellen Gussman Adelson Prize for outstanding instrumental music performance, won the 2019 Roselyn Schneider Eisner Prize in the Creative Arts, and been a three-time recipient of the Goldie Rogers Award for original music composition. 

 

Rebecca has performed in Scotland, Ireland, Italy, China, and across the USA. She has toured internationally with the Camerata Strings Orchestra, served as concert master for the Cornell Chamber Orchestra, and performed with baroque ensemble, Les Petit Violons. Rebecca is a certified adjudicator for Scottish Fiddling Revival Ltd, and has been featured multiple times on BBC Radio Scotland.

 

Rebecca currently performs with her Scottish band, The Fire, of which she and dynamic bagpiper David Brewer are founding members. The band has recorded seven studio albums together, and works to further contribute to the traditions of Scottish music in America through performances and tours, as well as workshops funded by agencies such as the National Endowment for the Arts. 

 

In addition to her performance accolades, Rebecca holds a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology and two masters degrees specializing in Scottish traditional music from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as a B.A. summa cum laude from Cornell University. In 2013 and 2019-2020, Rebecca lived in Edinburgh and Glasgow where she played regularly with local musicians, and conducted archival and fieldwork research on traditional Scottish music and culture.

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Rebecca currently resides in the California Bay Area where she is sought after for her technically masterful and passionate playing, her knowledge of Scotland’s history and culture, and the ability to weave these together in lively and exhilarating performance.