Alasdair Fraser is recognized throughout the world as one of the finest fiddle players Scotland has ever produced. Natalie Haas is one of the most sought after cellists playing traditional music today. Fresh off of a May tour of Ireland, this dazzling musical team is stopping for an evening in Midcoast Maine to perform at the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor on Friday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Master Scottish fiddler Fraser is a consummate performer. He has been a major force behind the resurgence of traditional Scottish fiddling in his homeland and the United States, inspiring legions of listeners and learners through his recordings, annual fiddle camps and concerts.

Fraser's richly expressive playing transports listeners across a broad musical spectrum, ranging from haunting laments from the Gaelic tradition to classically-styled airs, raucous dance tunes, and improvisations based on traditional themes. His vast repertoire spans several centuries of Scottish music and includes his own compositions, which blend a profound understanding of the Scottish tradition with cutting-edge musical explorations.

Haas is a Juilliard graduate, and the American member of the duo. She, too, has a passion for taking the infectious melodies and grooves of Scottish and Celtic music on a new journey. She and Fraser have toured as a duo for over 12 years. Their first album together, “Fire & Grace,” was awarded Best Album of the Year in the Scots Trad Music Awards 2004.

Scott Alarik of the Boston Globe captures the pair in concert perfectly: "Traditional music has always been a connective tissue between cultures, communities, and generations. Witness the duo of Scottish fiddle star Fraser and cello prodigy Haas. He is from Clackmannan, a small town in Scotland's smallest county. She is a Juilliard grad from California. When they met, he was teacher, and she was student. And yet on a new CD, ‘In the Moment,’ you would think they'd been playing together for centuries. While his fiddle dances, her cello throbs darkly or plucks puckishly. Then she opens her cello's throat, joining Fraser in soaring sustains, windswept refrains, and sudden, jazzy explosions. Their sound is as urbane as a Manhattan midnight, and as wild as a Clackmannan winter."

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25/day of the concert for adults and $10/ students under age 18. Tickets are also available online at boothbayoperahouse.com.

The Opera House box office is located at 86 Townsend Avenue in Boothbay Harbor and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by calling 207-633-6855. Doors for seating open at 7 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. concert. Refreshments available.