Patrick McAvinue

Patrick Coleman McAvinue is an American fiddler, combining in his music aspects of bluegrass, swing, and Celtic music.

He is also a private music educator.

In 2003, 2004, and 2005, McAvinue won the Delaware State Fiddle Championship.

In 2004, he joined the band Smooth Kentucky after hearing the band on a local radio show.

The band also included Ed Hough (guitar, vocals), B.J. Lazarus (mandolin), Cris Jacobs (guitar, vocals), Dave Frieman (bass), Jordan Tice (guitar, vocals) and Dave Giegerich (resonator guitar).

In 2006, at age 16, McAvinue joined Audie Blaylock and Redline.

On McAvinue's 2006 solo album Grave Run, he was assisted by Dudley Connell, Sammy Shelor, Chris Warner, Troy Engle, David McLaughlin, Marshall Wilborn, and Mike Auldridge.

Rutland's Reel in 2008 featured Audie Blaylock, Jesse Brock, Michael Cleveland, Barry Reid, Pete Kelly, and Chris Warner.

In 2011, McAvinue received a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance from Towson University, where he studied under pianist Tim Murphy, trumpeter David Ballou, and violinist Dr. Jeffrey Howard.

In 2014, McAvinue formed the band Charm City Junction with Brad Kolodner (banjo), Sean McComiskey (accordion) and Alex Lacquement (bass).

Charm City is a nickname for Baltimore.

Charm City Junction plays a mix of Celtic music.

The band began when McAvinue, Kolodner, and McComiskey met at an old-time music jam.

They synced well, and added Lacquement to the new band.

McAvinue received the International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2015 Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award.

He has recorded seven albums with them, including 2016's The Road That Winds.

In 2016, McAvinue moved to Nashville, Tennessee to be part of the Dailey & Vincent touring band, replacing B. J. Cherryholmes on fiddle.

In 2016, McAvinue accepted the position of Artist in Residence at the Strathmore Arts Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

He is the IBMA's 2017 Fiddle Player of the Year.

McAvinue is a native of Hereford, Maryland.

He began playing fiddle at age 7 and was trained as a classical violinist.

At age 10, Peabody graduate Amy Hopkins taught him fiddle tunes from all over the world.

Then he received training from multi-instrumentalist Troy Engle.

At age 12, McAvinue formed The Salem Bottom Boys, his first band.

In 2017, McAvinue won the IBMA award for Fiddle Player of the Year.