Judges for 2012 will be posted here when available.
Shown below are our 2011 judges.
(Adult, Small Fry, Junior Junior, Junior Divisions and first round of the Twin Fiddling, Mon-Wed)
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Malinda DeBry – Meridian ID
Malinda has been playing the fiddle since the age of 5 and has performed and competed most of her life. She was the 2001 National Young Adult Champion at Weiser and has placed in the top five numerous other times there. Malinda has won several Idaho state titles and other contests throughout the Northwest in her fiddling career. Malinda has judged several contests including the National Oldtime Fiddle Contest in Weiser. She currently teaches several students and likes to perform with her mother and sister in-law in a group called Blackberry Blossom. She grew up playing and loving Texas Style fiddling and still enjoys it along with Bluegrass, Swing, Folk and Celtic styles. Malinda is married to Mark DeBry and they are seen most of the time chasing, and seldom catching up to, one of their four children. She enjoys gardening, basketball, attending her kids’ activities and date nights with her hubby. They currently live in Meridian, Idaho |
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Gary Lee Moore – Seattle WA
Gary Lee, a gardener, has been playing music since he was 5 years old. He's a proud 4th generation Oklahoma fiddle player. Gary Lee has won several state contests including the Washington State Championship and the Adult division here at Weiser. He has attended the National Oldtime Fiddle Contest every year since 1974! He plays many instruments and is a favorite tenor guitar player for many contestants at fiddle contests. Gary Lee has worked hard to develop his own fiddling style and always plays the 'different' tunes. He has judged at Weiser and at other fiddle contests many times. |
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Donna Reuter – Hood River OR
Donna Johnson Reuter is a third generation fiddler and former Washington and Oregon state and regional fiddle champion. She is a retired fiddle teacher after 30 years and has judged at the National Fiddle Contest in Weiser, Idaho five times previously as well as numerous state and regional competitions throughout the US. She and her husband Fritz own and operate a home construction business in Hood River, Oregon specializing in the building of energy efficient solar homes and she performs with the bluegrass band “Fiddlegrass”. |
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Daniel Touchstone – San Diego CA Dan Touchstone, a native San Diegan, is a second generation fiddle player. His father, Leon, was a classically trained violinist, having converted to fiddle while stationed in the South Pacific during WW II.
Dan learned fiddle from his father, having received his first fiddle at age five. Dan’s first fiddle contest was the Death Valley event introduced to him by his father. He was impressed with the incredible talent on display, and was hooked at that point. Since then, he has competed in many contests, and has won a few along the way. He has judged a number of times, and considers it an honor to do so.
Dan has three children and two grandsons. He and his wife Vicki enjoy car trips, the outdoors, and of course music. Dan is an avid surfer. |
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Liddy Voetberg – Chehalis WA
Liddy Voetberg is a multiple state and regional fiddle champion, the 2007 National Young Adult Fiddle Champion and 9th place finisher in the National Grand Champion division in 2008. Liddy has judged various contests throughout the northwest including the Northwest Regional Fiddle Contest in Spokane Washington. In 2010 she released her first solo album titled "He Leadeth Me". Liddy teaches piano, violin and fiddle lessons in her private studio in Washington State and tours and performs with her family band. |
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Judges
(Senior, Senior Senior, Young Adult, and Grand Champion Divisions plus round 2 of the Twin Fiddling)
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Andy Emert - Portland OR
Andy Emert, Portland, Oregon, won the Adult Division in 2010. He has played in cowboy bands in Oregon, Washington and Montana and has taught workshops across Oregon. Andy likes entertaining and plays swing fiddle and guitar. He has been competing at Weiser since the early 1980's. Andy works as a fiddle teacher and is employed at David Kerr Violin Shop in Portland. He has judged at Weiser; the Western Open in Red Bluff, California; the Washington State Contest in Wenatchee, WA and Republic, WA; Willamette Valley in Oregon; the Union Fiddle Contest in La Grande, OR, and the North Cascades Fiddle Contest in Winthrop, WA. Andy and his wife have two great kids and he is currently building an acoustic guitar in his garage. |
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Seth Mattison – Nampa ID
Seth Mattison began playing the fiddle in 1994 as a student of Roberta Pearce. His 13 divisional prizes from the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest include a Junior-Junior and Junior championship and two top-five Grand National finishes. Seth is also a classical violinist who, in 2009, earned a highest-honors B.A. in violin performance with a minor in Business from The College of Idaho where he studied with the English-born professional orchestral violinist Geoffrey Trabichoff. Seth has been a member of the Boise Philharmonic during the 2009-2010 (as Assistant Concertmaster) and 2010-2011 seasons. Additionally, he took a year of graduate music studies at Boise State University in 2009-2010 where he won both the season audition and the opportunity to play a concerto solo with the university symphony orchestra. He has also served as a judge for the Boise Philharmonic Youth Orchestra’s concerto competition. Right now Seth is completing an accounting degree from C of I. He judged at Weiser in 2006. |
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Julie Amundson - Austin, TX
Julie Amundson has been fiddling since 1979. Julie and her husband Eric (also a musician - guitar and bass player) have been married almost 25 years and live in Austin, Texas. She has judged and competed in contests in many states. Julie's judging experience has Included Weiser and Hallettsville, Texas (home to the Texas State Championship Fiddlers Frolics). Some of her previous awards include California State Young Adult champion and Texas State Adult Champion. She has been influenced by many fiddlers in her life, including Orville Burns, Terry Morris, Dick and Lisa Barrett, JayDean Ludiker, and to many others to mention.
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Sheila O’Brien – Cheney, WA
Sheila started playing music in the 3rd grade, after her dad & mom got tired of hearing her one-finger serenades on her aunt's piano. In 1966, the family joined the Fiddlers after a cross-town dash to win a roll of waxed paper by identifying "Flop Earred Mule" that they were playing on the radio. She started playing fiddle in 1967 at school and entered her first fiddle contest in Weiser the next summer. Sheila’s dad bought her a fiddle for $15 at a thrift store because he wanted the ivory frog on the bow, and she has played it for the last 40-odd years. Her honors include titles at local & regional levels, as well as 2 National titles and many top-5 finishes. She also has a few accompanist trophies. Sheila started judging after winning the Washington State Open Division at the age of 18, and this is her 3rd time judging the National at Weiser. Her favorite part of playing is teaching other people to have as much fun with the fiddle as she has had! |
Eileen Walter-Portland, Oregon
Eileen Walter took up fiddling over 30 years ago and has been studying, jamming, performing, teaching, and participating in fiddle contests ever since. She’s won several local and regional contests, including the Northwest Regional and Oregon State Adult Divisions. Eileen has judged many contests in five western states, including the national contest at Weiser, Idaho in 2004 and 2008. She is currently teaching 35 fiddle students in Portland, Oregon and enjoys performing locally with her husband, guitarist Jeff Walter.
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