Miles Zurawell

Miles Zurawell is a multi-instrumentalist, performer and composer of acoustic music on dobro and banjo based in British Columbia, Canada. His debut full length album, Far Afield, will be released October 1st, 2023. Expressive, soaring and soulful, the record is an exploration of diverse modern and traditional acoustic instrumental music.

Born and raised in Ardrossan, Alberta, Miles Zurawell was exposed to a diversity of acoustic music through the Canadian folk music scene. A pianist and guitarist in his formative years, he discovered the dobro, banjo and the bluegrass of Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs through a university biology professor in 2011. Leaving the biology profession aside, he studied with dobro masters Ivan Rosenberg, Billy Cardine, and Mike Witcher. For more than a decade he has performed and toured internationally with acclaimed bluegrass, old-time, and roots artists including Zachary Lucky, Greg Blake, John Lowell, Blaine Sprouse, and more.

Having grown up in the Canadian prairies mostly isolated from the bluegrass playing community and American dobro players, Miles has developed a unique voice on the instrument. During the last five years living on the west coast of Canada, he’s been taking inspiration from the melodic approach of players local to the Pacific Northwest such as John Reischman and becoming interested in fiddling traditions beyond bluegrass that are more often heard on the coast. Rather than stick to well-trodden bluegrass territory, he began exploring what tunes from Appalachian old-time, celtic, Quebecois, and Métis traditions could sound like on dobro and 5-string banjo, as well as delving into the roots of slide guitar music from Hawaiian to western swing. Along with his long track record as an accompanist for song-writers, what has emerged from this exploration of diversity is an instrumentalist with a distinct musical voice.

Copper Island Bluegrass Collective

As is our annual tradition, the NimbleFingers Festival presents our secret weapon, an all-star band comprised of musicians from the varied bands presented on the festival day. Lead by our workshop program director, band leader Steve Roy never fails to disappoint with whatever rabbit he pulls out his hat.