National fiddle champion at Nature Center on Saturday

Jamie Laval, a U. S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion who combines “music, amusing and informative stories, foot percussion and an innovative arrangement style to create a beautiful atmosphere of the Scottish Highland,” will spend Saturday afternoon and evening, Aug. 5, at Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center.

In addition to performing, he will l ead a workshop for Celtic i nstrumentalists and participate in a reception and after-show jam ses- sion and party.

Laval is known for his passionate performances of traditional Celtic music, showcasing his virtuosity, contemporary flair and uncanny imitation of Highland bagpipes. He has been called “one of North America’s finest practitioners of traditional Scottish music” by the San Jose Mercury News.

Laval got his training at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and was a member of the Northwest Chamber Orchestra, the Seattle Opera and the Victoria Symphony. He has performed on several movie and TV soundtracks, including the Emmy- nominated theme song for “Everwood.”

He also played on Dave Matthew’s “Some Devil” album and gave a private performance for Her Majesty the Queen. He won the U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship in 2002. His third album, “Murmurs and Drones,” was voted Best World Traditional Album in the 2012 Independent Music Awards.

He teaches and leads workshops at St. Andrew’s University in North Carolina, California State University and the Royal Conservatoire.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Jamie Laval