Music career

My musical journey began at the age of nine, when I became a cathedral chorister in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

After a couple of years of classical violin lessons, I began teaching myself American old-time, Irish and bluegrass fiddle from recordings. Later, I took lessons with London folk fiddler and teacher Pete Cooper. My late friend Bob Winquist, a Canadian classical viola player who was also an excellent bluegrass fiddler, was an enormous help and inspiration.

A growing curiosity about improvisation drew me towards swing jazz. I studied with the late Johnny Van Derek, one of the great jazz fiddlers on the British scene, before returning to classical violin as a mature student at Trinity College of Music in London, studying with Diana Cummings and John Crawford.

I have always believed that the spirit and soul of a musical tradition live in the communities where it comes from. That belief took me far and wide, learning from and playing alongside leading musicians in many styles. Over the years I spent a long time on the west coast of Ireland, immersed in traditional Irish music, and later lived in Stockholm, Sweden, playing swing jazz.

Along the way, I became the first European to win the West Tennessee Bluegrass Fiddle Championship in 2012, and received the top soloist award at Sweden’s Classic Jazz finals in 2013.

My career took me across Europe and the USA as a performer, recording artist, producer, composer, author, workshop leader and teacher, with extensive touring and broadcasting.

In 2014, I founded my own label, Ivor Ottley Music, and released Skating Across the Baltic, a collaboration with the talented Swedish banjo player, vocalist and composer Lena Ullman. In 2023, I released my album Soundscapes. Both recordings are available as digital downloads or physical CDs. Listen and order below.