For Boston-based artist, Christine Delphine Hedden, writing was the beginning of her musical journey. Hailing from the highlands of western Connecticut, Christine’s first footsteps were in the fields of her grandfather’s Christmas tree farm, singing Tolkien’s poetry to melodies of her own composition on childhood fantasy adventures.

Today, Christine’s creative practice is still rooted in these fields: connection with nature and a spiritual sense of the world form the foundations of her work. She is a performer of Irish traditional fiddle/viola, percussive dance, and song, as well as a composer of classical music, traditional tunes, and folk-style songs.

 In 2019, Christine released her debut solo album, “When the Aster Blooms,” through the support of Club Passim’s Iguana Music Fund. The album is a collection of original tunes and songs inspired by her native New England folk music and her love of Irish traditional music. Christine has performed at Club Passim, the Boston Celtic Music Festival, opened for The Burren Backroom Series, and has played live on Brian O’Donovan’s, “A Celtic Sojourn.”

In the classical world, Christine’s work has been performed notably by Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Verdant Vibes, Ethel String Quartet, Rasa String Quartet, Barkada Quartet, and a variety of soloists. In 2023-24, she was a fellow of the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy’s initiative, Composing Earth, through which composers intensively study the suite of ecological crises faced by our earth and to write a new work based on these studies. Her most recent work, Solstice, explores the loss of winter in New England and will be premiered as part of the program for “Songs of the Earth” at South Shore Conservatory in Hingham, MA.

As a teacher, Christine believes in a holistic approach to learning music. She is currently on faculty at South Shore Conservatory, where she serves as String Department chair and teaches a full studio of students in Suzuki violin, viola, and Irish traditional fiddle. Her own teachers include Evan Chambers, Gabriela Lena Frank, Kristin Kuster, and Nancy Galbraith (composition), and David Harding (viola).

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 the 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 studied abroad at University of Limerick in Ireland and completed certificates in Irish studies and the Blás International Summer School of Irish Music and Dance at the Irish World Academy.  

Christine is a member of BMI, American Composer’s Forum, and Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity for Women Alumni. She plays an unknown fiddle restored by her very first teacher and luthier, Michael Seery.