Stefan Heuer Music
- Nashville, TN
- Singing Guitarist
- 28 Verified Bookings
Johny R. said “Stefan took on a tough job singing for my friend at her birthday trail ride. He could not have handled the challenges any better and the music was great.”
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Cantiga plays timeless Celtic, medieval and world music with harp, flute and cello. We create a magical atmosphere for private parties, weddings, receptions, and provide elegant music for dining.
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Price Range: Contact for rates
Gig Length: 40 - 300 minutes
Languages: English
Unions: AFM
Captivating interplay between the musicians. Cantiga’s spontaneous musical threads weave a kaleidoscopic tapestry that is at once Celtic, Old World, Folksy, Jazzy, Improvisational, Toe-tapping, and Classy as can be. You will be delighted by the magical Old World tunes played with serious improvisional interpretations.
We are experienced professional musicians and veteran renaissance festival entertainers. We are punctual and deal in an cordial and engaging way with both the audience and our hosts.
Cantiga has performed together for almost 30 years at Renaissance festivals and colleges across the US. With a large repertoire of Celtic and ancient tunes, the band also plays as a 3 piece acoustic trio (Celtic harp, flute and cello) that plays for private parties, weddings, receptions, gallery openings and provides elegant dining music. Cantiga can also be booked as a larger ensemble including fiddle and percussion.
Flutist BOB BIELEFELD has a vast repertoire of Celtic and European tunes and is the author of Cantiga’s Renaissance Festival Favorites (Mel Bay Publications). Bob’s research in ancient manuscripts in music libraries around the country gives birth to Cantiga’s arrangements.He plays flutes recorders and penny whistles
Harpist MARTHA GAY attended Oxford University reading Archaeology. She began playing harp in 1976 and went on to studied with Derrick Bell of the Chieftains. .
MAX DYER is a cellist with the Houston Ballet orchestra and enjoys improvising in many styles. Max is producer of Cantiga’s six critically acclaimed CDs
About our name:
The word CANTIGA means 'song' in the language of Alfonso the Wise, the 13th century Spanish "King of the Three Religions" whose royal court was a haven for Christian, Muslim, and Jewish musicians. Following in their tradition, the members of Cantiga are dedicated to the inclusive spirit of musical improvisation which has flourished among musicians in cultural crossroads throughout history and continues to be celebrated in today's diverse Global Village.
The following liner notes by Bob Bielefeld are from our most recent CD "A Village in Motion"
When I first met fiddler Malcolm Smith and harper Martha Gay at the 1979 Texas Renaissance Festival I had no idea that we were about to embark on an ongoing adventure and road trip that would take us to Renaissance Festivals across the country, a journey that is still going strong after more than three decades.
Our first recording, Cantiga, with cellist Peter Gorisch, was released in 1986. When Peter moved to Nashville, he gave Max Dyer a copy hoping to recruit him as a replacement. Max fell in love with the sound of the group and especially Peter’s cello—and, learning that it was for sale, wasted no time in buying it. This very special instrument has been played by Max on every subsequent Cantiga recording. Following Malcolm’s death in 1996, a number of wonderful musicians have traveled and performed with us – including fiddlers Mark Caudill, Michelle Levy, and Thomas Nuendel, as well as Chilean multi-instrumentalist Charry Garcia. Two of the finest, Alex Korolov (viola da gamba and lute) and Sick (violin), are featured on this project.
The court of 13th century King Alfonso el Sabio (Alfonso The Wise) in Santiago de Compostela was a haven for scholars and artists from many cultures. Our band’s name Cantiga (song) was borrowed from Alfonso’s 13th century manuscript Cantigas de Santa Maria. This book tells of the adventures of the Virgin Mary, with each story set to music and beautifully illustrated. It draws from fables and songs of the region, with contributions from Christians, Moors, Jews, Celts and Visigoths alike. The illustrations show musicians from various cultures clad in ethnic garb, having a good time jamming together, creating new music in the mysterious moment. We have drawn inspiration from these tunes, using them as a springboard for our own improvisation.
Cantiga’s music has the spontaneous quality and wild spirit of music played outdoors, in cold and heat, wind, rain, and snow. Like roses planted in different soils the music grows and blossoms differently in each performance. We never play a tune the same way twice, and our improvisational approach has developed over the years, side by side with our fellow performers on the renfaire circuit. This collection contains recent additions to our repertoire as well as two of our perennial favorite cantigas.
As our latest recording project began coming to fruition in the winter of 2010-11, we turned our thoughts to choosing a title. Martha Gay, our harper, had recently returned from a 500-mile trek through parts of France and Spain on the Camino de Santiago—an ancient pilgrim road leading to Santiago de Compostela, the resting place of St.. James’ bones as well as the origin of the Cantigas de Santa Maria. On foot, Martha towed her harp through the high mountain passes so that she could play the cantigas in the ancient churches and villages along the way. Encountering fellow pilgrims from many lands, she followed in the footsteps of those much earlier musicians who also shared the cantigas on the Camino.
We can play acoustically or can provide our own amplification if necessary. Set up takes a half hour or less.
We have a large repertoire of Celtic, medieval, renaissance, Middle Eastern and European folk music. We have a readily available playlist of 75-100 tunes and can fill several hours of music without repeating a number.
Bob Bielefeld | Flute |
Martha Gay | Celtic Harp |
Max Dyer | Cello |
The Chieftains
We require 2 chairs.
Johny R. said “Stefan took on a tough job singing for my friend at her birthday trail ride. He could not have handled the challenges any better and the music was great.”
Ash P. said “I used Darian for my wife's valentine's singing telegram. He was amazing and even did an an extra song performance! Highly Recommended!”
Kathryn H. said “Ben played at our corporate event and it was perfection! Everyone was blown away by his music…we didn’t want him to stop! He was also a pleasure to work…”
Light rock with a positive vibe, think Tom Petty meets John Mayer. Originals and select covers.