The Northern Hills Fiddlers is directed by Catherine Rose, M.Sc. with assistance from Kenzie Bulkowski-Rose. Catherine came from a musical family and began taking violin lessons as a young child. By age eight, Catherine was studying violin with the conductor of the Tucson, Arizona Philharmonic Orchestra. Catherine joined the Tucson Youth Symphony at age 12, and at age 15, won a scholarship to a summer music program at Kansas University. Throughout high school, Catherine studied violin, piano, voice, and drama in summer sessions at the University of Arizona and continued with orchestra playing with the Youth Symphony for six years and later with the University Orchestra. Catherine studied violin for nine years with Professor Rodney Mercado of the University of Arizona Faculty of Fine Arts.
In her early twenties, Catherine was diagnosed with late-onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. A career as a violinist became impossible, so Catherine transferred from the faculty of fine arts to the faculty of liberal arts at university. She earned a degree in science from the University of Arizona and completed a master's degree in chemistry at the University of Utah. Catherine's career as a chemist includes research and teaching at the college and university level.
Catherine missed her music, and after a long recovery from three hand and wrist surgeries, she began to play the violin again. She joined a string quartet and played at nursing homes and hospital chapels. Catherine played first and second violin for eight years in the Centre Street Church Orchestra in Calgary. Catherine took Suzuki teacher training, attends summer fiddle school and participates in various fiddle workshops. Catherine loves folk music and is passionate about sharing these beautiful tunes with her students and with audiences throughout the Calgary area.
Catherine is a member of the Alberta Society of Fiddlers, the Prairie Mountain Fiddlers, the Calgary Suzuki Strings Association, and teaches private violin lessons through Wild Rose Studio.
An advanced fiddler, Kenzie began playing the violin at age four. She started formal violin lessons at Centre Street Church at age five, joining the Centre Street Orchestra second violin section at age nine. Kenzie is a member of the Bow Valley Fiddlers' Senior Performance group. She is a private violin student with Elizabeth Szojka, a violin instructor at The Conservatory, Mount Royal College.
We are pleased to welcome Dave Foster as our keyboard accompanist.
Dave, originally from New Zealand, and now a retired Calgary elementary school teacher, is part of the group Ceòl, and assists with piano at the "slow pitch" sessions of the Prairie Mountain Fiddlers' jams. He has recorded three CDs and has taught an Appalachian dulcimer class at a FAMI workshop. Dave is also the week one director of the Alberta Society of Fiddlers' Silver Creek Ranch Fiddle School.
The Northern Hills Fiddlers is directed by Catherine Rose, M.Sc. with assistance from Kenzie Bulkowski-Rose. Catherine came from a musical family and began taking violin lessons as a young child. By age eight, Catherine was studying violin with the conductor of the Tucson, Arizona Philharmonic Orchestra. Catherine joined the Tucson Youth Symphony at age 12, and at age 15, won a scholarship to a summer music program at Kansas University. Throughout high school, Catherine studied violin, piano, voice, and drama in summer sessions at the University of Arizona and continued with orchestra playing with the Youth Symphony for six years and later with the University Orchestra. Catherine studied violin for nine years with Professor Rodney Mercado of the University of Arizona Faculty of Fine Arts. 
