Nova Scotia
fiddle, piano, dance

Troy MacGillivray is from Lanark, a small community on the north-eastern shore of Nova Scotia. Troy’s commitment to music has spanned 30 years and includes both practical and academic accomplishments, most recently an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Limerick in Ireland. From as young as six years old, Troy impressed audiences with his step dancing and soon after, fiddle and piano skills. His first teaching gig was at 13 years old at Colaisde na Gàidhlig (the Gaelic College) in St. Ann’s, Cape Breton. His roots-centered approach comes from a family of proud Scottish heritage where playing fiddle and Gaelic traditions run in the bloodline.

Troy’s strong career has brought him around the world playing and teaching from the North Pole to Afghanistan, while his solo recordings have received numerous nominations and awards from the East Coast Music Association and the Canadian Folk Music Awards. In 2012, Troy was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for contributions to culture in Canada.

Troy’s bloodline is equally as impressive. The Lanark MacGillivrays and MacDonalds have been proprietors of the Gaelic tradition in North Eastern Nova Scotia for generations. Troy’s grandfather, Hugh A. MacDonald, is a member of the Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame – an honour bestowed for his contribution to the Gaelic culture of Nova Scotia. Troy’s parents, Tony and Janice, are talented musicians in their own rights while his sister, Kendra, is a two-time East Coast Music Award winning fiddler and his sister Sabra, is an accomplished dancer and percussionist. Whether playing piano or fiddle, or showcasing his stepdancing capabilities, Troy MacGillivray displays a unique sense of pride and commitment to his Celtic heritage and his music continues to add to the history and development of the traditional music that is the epitome of the Maritimes, the place he calls home. Try will be working with Mairi Rankin at the workshop.