Edgar Bridwell

Born in Southern Illinois to a family that included a fiddle-playing great grandfather, Edgar started playing violin when he was 5 and, after his family moved to Vancouver, he studied violin with Harry Gomez. Later he played in numerous festivals, competitions, and chamber groups. In 1981 he moved to Montreal to study fine arts and animation. In 1984, Edgar met Ray Condo and became a member of his group the Hardrock Goners, with whom he recorded and toured until 1993. 

Since then, he’s played a variety of styles, including a broad palette of genres with the Absinthe Ensemble, Manouche swing with the Lawless Firm, and Cajun music with the Royal Cajun band. He now finds himself increasingly involved in early music, and has been enjoying refining his skills at various international early music workshops. A violinist and violist in Lions Gate Sinfonia, Edgar plays baroque violin and viola with various period ensembles in Vancouver, as well as viola da gamba with Vancouver Viols.