Shawn MacDonald

Shawn MacDonald has been playing the fiddle for over 50 years. Born into a musical family, he picked up the instrument at the age of four and never put it down. A longtime member of the Cape Breton Fiddlers’ Association, Shawn studied under the late Professor James MacDonald of North Sydney.

In 1983, he joined the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra and played with the ensemble for 11 years. He later studied performance at Acadia University before turning professional, focusing on Celtic music. He began touring internationally with his family band, Scumalash, performing across the UK, Scotland, Ireland, Brittany (France), and the United States.

Shawn is a former cast member of the Cape Breton Summertime Revue and now performs with The Privateers/High Society, one of Cape Breton’s most popular bands. He also serves as Concertmaster of the Cape Breton Orchestra. With over three decades of experience as a fiddle teacher, Shawn continues to play with many artists while enjoying semi-retirement from teaching.