For Boston-based artist, Christine Delphine Hedden, writing was the beginning of her musical journey. Hailing from the highlands of western Connecticut, she began writing songs in early elementary school, set to Tolkien’s poetry, to accompany fantasy adventures on her grandfather’s Christmas tree farm. Today, her creative process is still deeply rooted in these fields: connection with nature and a magically spiritual sense of the world form the foundations of her work.
Christine is an artist who draws upon many wells: traditional, classical and contemporary. She is a composer, a fiddle player (doubling on viola), a percussive dancer and a singer-songwriter. In May 2019, Christine recently released her debut solo album, “When the Aster Blooms” through the generous support of Club Passim’s Iguana Music Fund: the album is a diverse storybook of original tunes and songs inspired by her native New England folk music and her love of Irish traditional music. She has performed at Club Passim, the Boston Celtic Music Festival, The Burren Backroom Series and has played live on Brian O’Donovan’s, “A Celtic Sojourn.”
As a child, Christine was enchanted by Irish traditional music – hypothesizing that a viola could be played like a fiddle, she chose viola as her first musical instrument. After Twinkle, she was soon attending New England slow jam sessions with her father, Dan, on guitar and today they still perform together as Headin’ Home. After becoming a part of multiple musical communities – Western classical, New England folk and Irish traditional – Christine began to notice tensions, misunderstandings and misperceptions between these communities. As a young artist, she started to investigate translation – how could nuances of Irish traditional music be translated in classical notation? Is it possible for people to experience the dignity, complexity and beauty of music from other communities– and what could she do, as a composer and performer, to bring about these kinds of experiences? For over 15 years, Christine’s work has been fueled by these questions, seeking to create experiences of deep human connection through her art.
As a teacher, Christine believes in a holistic approach to learning music. Her teaching philosophy is strongly influenced by her experiences in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, emphasizing the natural relationship between movement and rhythm. Her own teachers include composers Evan Chambers, Gabriela Lena Frank, Kristin Kuster and Nancy Galbrieth; violist David Harding; fiddlers Marty Somberg and George Keith; and percussive dancer Kieran Jordan.
Christine holds an M.M. in Music Composition from University of Michigan, where she had the opportunity to premiere her thesis, “A Thaisce Riamh: Concerto for Fídíl and Orchestra” as fídíl soloist and composer. She holds two degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, a B.F.A. in Music Composition and a B.F.A. in Viola Performance, with University Honors. Through the Vira I. Heinz Scholarship Program for Women in Global Leadership, she had the opportunity to study abroad at University of Limerick in Ireland and completed certificates in Irish studies and the Blas International Summer School of Irish Music and Dance at the Irish World Academy.
Christine is a member of BMI, American Composer’s Forum, Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity for Women Alumni and is a registered teacher for violin and viola with the Suzuki Association of the Americas.