Casey Driessen

traveler / fiddler / teacher

“Casey Driessen is a rather funky fellow....Music-wise, you might call him the heir to Vassar Clements in that he too, straddles the line between roots and jazz. If you've ever seen Driessen perform live you'll swear his violin plays him.” –Nashville Scene

“Monster chops and imagination to match.” - Downbeat

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Casey Driessen has never taken the standard path in his music career. He's always exploring, crossing genres, and questioning assumptions. He’s just as likely to release a video series of creative collaborations as he is to release a traditional album. Described by Zac Brown as “a mad scientist with a five-string fiddle,” the GRAMMY-nominated artist loves to experiment, collaborate, mentor, travel, and push the boundaries of not only his instrument, but of what it means to be an independent working musician in the current climate.

For the high-energy fiddle player, that has meant a constant juggling of stage and studio, independent media projects, teaching and other opportunities that pique his interest and fit the long-term vision. He's even gone as far as taking short runs for friends like Béla Fleck doing anything from stage managing to drum tech-ing while also sitting in with the band. He sees those odd jobs as a chance to add new skills to his toolbox or get another perspective on how his peers manage their tours and careers. It's a professional investment in his future and a small price to pay for maintaining creative freedom.

Currently, the unexpected turn that keeps him busy—yet still free to experiment—is a recent appointment as Program Director of Contemporary Performance (Production Concentration) for Berklee College of Music’s graduate school at their international campus in Valencia, Spain. Hired in the summer of 2015 by his alma mater, he divides his time between family, teaching, leading the program and developing outside projects to ensure that his artistry doesn’t get lost in the day-to-day challenges of running a graduate program.

But Driessen, never one to wear a single hat, is taking advantage of the location and opportunities that come with his new gig. He divides his weekends and school breaks between family time and diving head-first into the international flavor and collaborations that set him apart from his peers. One weekend that means playing a festival in Norway, while the following might find him going into the studio to lay down tracks for a collaborative project with Estonian fiddler, Eeva Talsi. Or perhaps even sitting in with Paul Simon as his tour passes through Madrid.

Over the past 10 years, Driessen has racked up a catalog and resume that would make any top musician proud.