Clara Reidlinger

Clara Riedlinger is an old time fiddler and traditional singer from Rochester, NY. Her music seamlessly blends the sounds of central Appalachia and Upstate NY, reflecting her years of traveling and learning knee-to-knee from old masters, including Rachel Eddy, National Heritage Fellow Gerry Milnes, Ginny Hawker, Emily Miller, and Val Mindel. Since returning north, Clara has expanded her repertoire to the tunes and songs of her native New York State. In addition to fiddle tunes, Clara’s settings of traditional ballads and story songs from both West Virginia and New York will bring a tear to a glass eye, and transport audiences to a place outside of time. Clara plays in the Rochester-based stringband Clinton’s Folly, contra dance trio Cattail, and WV-based vocal duo Clara + Olivia. Clara also serves as the staff documentarian for the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, WV, and is a co-founder of Flower City Square Dance.