Player Spotlight - Chris Overholser

Listen to sound clips of Chris during his interview with Carol Johnson, recorded using the new SonoPak recording unit.

Chris Overholser has been winning awards since he first started fiddling at age five. Last September, Chris became the first recipient of the Memorial Award for Musical Excellence at the Lowell Fiddle Contest in Massachusetts, an award given in memory of long-time judge Andrew Woolf to the most promising musician at the event. But this nine-year-old is not your typical fiddler: Chris plays without a chinrest, with his chin on opposite side of the fiddle, and with what he proudly calls "a whacked bow hold." In his unconventional bowing style, Chris holds the bow at the balance point, an old trick of some fiddlers.

Erica Weiss, a local guitar teacher, played a key role in Chris' musical development when she recognized the five-year-old's talent and love for the violin. Erica encouraged Chris' parents to just let him play, which he proceeded to do for several hours a day. While neither of his parents plays a stringed instrument, Chris' great-grandmother, Eva Heinitz, was one of the top viola da gamba players of her day.

From the start, Chris learned completely by ear, and although he knows over 50 Celtic tunes, he says that "personally, I just like to play my own creations." Chris has jammed with several well-known local musicians, including Rushad Eggleston and John McGann. He still jams regularly with his old friend Erica, and now also studies violin with Joe Kessler and Andy Reiner. Chris' favorite styles are Celtic and Cape Breton fiddle. He has visited Cape Breton Island, and also had the opportunity to meet Natalie MacMaster (one of his favorite fiddlers) at a house party in Canada, which was an unforgettable experience!

Chris is homeschooled, which allows him the opportunity to pursue a wide range of interests beyond fiddling. These currently include birding, sports (especially baseball), reading, and learning to play a variety of instruments, including the pennywhistle and his latest passion, the keyboard.

A few months ago, Chris came to Johnson's and bought his first violin (an E.H. Roth made in Markneukirchen, Germany, c. 1930) after years as a Johnson renter. He also visited our store in February and played a few of his own works and some old favorites for us on his Roth violin with a CodaBow Colours bow.