Epoch Musical Instruments sponsors Australia's biggest fiddle show
Epoch Musical Instruments sponsored the Golden Fiddle Awards and Show at the Capitol Theatre in the heart of the Tamworth CBD on Friday 24 January 2026.
Regular patrons claimed the show was the best demonstration of fiddle virtuosity since Epoch staged the first Awards event in 2005.
Four awards were made to young players and stalwarts of the music industry.
Golden Fiddle Awards chairman and managing director of Epoch Musical Instruments, Mark Mitchell told the 200+ audience that Golden Fiddle Awards is a not-for-profit charity purely dedicated to supporting and encouraging violin playing musicians.
The grand finale to every Golden Fiddle Show is always a show-stopper when all the show’s performers fill the stage and play rousing music. This year was no exception with a spirited rendition of ‘Faded Love’, a Western swing song written by Bob Wills, with his father John and brother, Billy Jack. The tune is considered to be a shining example of American Western swing fiddle. Overlooking the stage from the big projection screen on which a movie of the Golden Fiddle history plays throughout the performance is music director, multi-instrumentalist and multi-award winner Andrew Clermont, whose Tamworth-based Supper Club is celebrating its 28th anniversary this year.
The international star of the Golden Fiddle Show was Tijmen Veelenturf from the Netherlands, one of Europe’s leading bluegrass fiddle players. Accompanied by Paul Henderson on banjo (left), Gary Steel on piano accordion, and Marcus Church on guitar, he introduced a gypsy flair to the show with classic numbers ‘Tchavalo Swing’ and ‘Goldrush’.
Prominent violinist, actor, singer and composer George Washingmachine is a regular on the Golden Fiddle stage and this year he once again wowed the audience with reimagined childhood classics from his Bonza Vista Social Club album — Hey Diddle Diddle, Hokey Pokey and Humpty Dumpty. His fiddle accompaniament came from Liz Young (left) and New Zealand’s Marian Burns. All three performers are former winners of Golden Fiddle Awards.