Ben Smith

Ben Smith is a graduate of Cape Breton University, where he completed BACS/BBA degree(s). While attending CBU he also took many traditional music courses and completed a Certificate in Ethnomusicology. He is currently pursuing his MBA also at CBU. Ben spent much of his childhood growing up on the island of Curaçao, while also spending summers and holidays in Cape Breton and Antigonish visiting family and deepening his connection to traditional music.

A fiddler for over ten years, Ben brings the sound of traditional Cape Breton fiddle while also blending influences from other genres. Growing up he attended The Gaelic College summer sessions, learning from some of Cape Breton’s finest fiddlers. He has experience in recording studios, orchestras, community events, and local cèilidhs. Ben is a member of the Cape Breton Orchestra and Cape Breton Fiddlers Association, and now works throughout the year at the The Gaelic College.

You can also catch Ben performing at venues across Cape Breton with the band Coastline. Coastline will make their debut at KitchenFest! this year, performing at The Big Bash on June 30 and The Old Triangle on July 1.