Born in Aberdeen and raised in Insch, Aberdeenshire, Sharon Hassan was immersed in a vibrant community of musicians and entertainers from an early age. She spent her after-school hours travelling the countryside with Frances Mitchell’s Concert Party, a travelling band of entertainers who helped her with homework whilst she waited to perform her spot in their shows.
Sharon began learning violin at school aged six, having persistently pestered her teacher for lessons. When her family moved to Insch, she travelled weekly to Inverurie for lessons with Dorothy Ferguson at The Garioch Fiddlers, the local Strathspey and Reel Society. These Monday night sessions became foundational to her musical education, where she learned her core repertoire and developed the skills that would shape her career.
While her parents weren’t particularly involved in traditional music—her father preferred 1960s rock and her mother enjoyed the Carpenters—Sharon and her twin sister became the family’s traditional music pioneers. They recorded “Taile a’ Bhaile” from television, learning tunes by Wolfstone, Capercaillie, and other featured artists. A transformative moment came around age ten when Sharon attended an Aly Bain masterclass at Aberdeen’s Lemon Tree. She bought his tunebook and cassette tape, determined to master every tune at the correct speed. This dedication to learning from Aly became central to her approach and her love of teaching.
Sharon’s time in Glasgow during the late 1990s and early 2000s coincided with an exciting period for traditional music, with new collaborations and experimental approaches leading to new musical ideas. She gained access to generous tradition bearers including Gordeanna McCulloch, Anne Neilson, Rod Paterson, Margaret Bennett, and Geordie Murison, who freely shared their knowledge.
Through Fèisean and sessions, Sharon connected with musicians across Scotland. She played alongside west coast fiddlers like Bruce McGregor, Ian Macfarlane, Allan Henderson, and Louise Mackenzie, later forming lasting friendships with Charlie McKerron (Capercaillie) and Jonny Hardie (Old Blind Dogs).
What Sharon values most about traditional music is the human connection—being accepted by different cultures and communicating through music without sharing a spoken language. This has given her the freedom to travel with just a backpack and fiddle, experiencing the remarkable kindness of musicians worldwide. On her travels Sharon created “Diaries of a Curious Fiddler,” a travel blog documenting a year-long journey to Nepal, the United States, and New Zealand, where she collected tunes and stayed with a Māori community. She hopes to complete a book about these experiences and return to see how these communities have evolved.
Sharon channels her passion into educational work and is currently working with SC&T and SC&T Youth (and has done for the last 25 years!), North East Folk Collective and Big Noise Torry in Aberdeen, making traditional music accessible to young people. Sharon’s approach emphasises music’s healing power and ability to spread happiness. She remains committed to sharing Scotland’s musical heritage with people of all ages, embodying the generous, inclusive spirit that characterises traditional music communities.
Sharon Hassan’s induction into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame recognises her talents as a performer and her dedication to making traditional music accessible through innovative educational work and international cultural exchange.