Centrum is pleased to announce that Cajun fiddler Joel Savoy will serve as the new Artistic Director of the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes beginning with the 2017 gathering.

“Man! Y’all. I can’t tell you what an honor this is and how excited I am about it!,” said Joel, on his way to Fred’s Lounge in Mamou. “Y’all know I’m in 100 percent and that I’d do anything I can for Fiddle Tunes in any capacity. So happy to be a part of the Centrum family, and to follow in Suzy’s footsteps!  WOW!!!”

Savoy has considerable footsteps to follow, said Fiddle Tunes Program Manager Peter McCracken. “Suzy Thompson has been faultless in her Artistic Director role these past six years,” he said. “She’s been collaborative, timely, expert and very much in tune with the needs and desires of participants. I especially respect the way she has continued to invite older tradition bearers, and I appreciate the women she has brought to the event. I’m extremely grateful for the time I’ve worked with her, as I’ve learned so much from her.”

Suzy added: “I am very thankful to have been able to help with Fiddle Tunes for the past six years and working with Peter McCracken has been a joy. Joel has been part of the Fiddle Tunes community since before he was born and he understands Fiddle Tunes inside and out. I have great respect and love for him both as a musician and as a human being, and I can’t wait to see what he and Peter come up with for 2017!”

Joel Savoy is a familiar face to regular Fiddle Tunes attendees. He is the son of Cajun musicians Marc and Ann Savoy, and has been at the forefront of the Louisiana music revival of the last 20 years. He is a highly visible figure in the American roots music community, placing him onstage alongside folks like John Fogerty, Linda Ronstadt, Steve Earle, and T-Bone Burnett.

The founder of the Louisiana-based label Valcour Records, Joel is a Grammy winner for his production work with The Band Courtbouillon and a nine-time Grammy nominee, as well as a two-time winner of the Cajun French Music Association’s Fiddler of the Year Award.

The faculty is complete for 2016, and enrollment is open for the festival.