Dan Emert has been playing the fiddle for over 40 years. He has placed highly in many contests around the region including Oregon State, Washington State 2017 Adult Champion, Colorado state Adult Champion, the Northwest Regionals, Western Open Junior and Adult Champion, and two National Championships at the National Oldtime Fiddler’s Contest in Weiser, Idaho (Junior in 1986 and Adult in 2006). Dan has been a clinical microbiologist for 25 years and currently resides in Walla Walla, Washington.

From Dan:

My philosophy on fiddling is straightforward. Technical proficiency including intonation and accuracy is extremely important, but even more essential is rhythm. As dance music, traditional fiddling must make your toes tap. You MUST find that groove to make it all work. I also prefer a variety of different tunes in different styles like Texas-style, Scottish and Irish. If it sounds good, it IS good. Play to your strengths and most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!! Have a great time best of luck to all of this year’s contestants.

Lydia Conway studied violin classically throughout her youth and went on to earn a Master of Music degree in Violin Performance before fully embracing her path as a fiddler. As a performer she has shared the stage with bluegrass bands and songwriters, as well as gaining a reputation as a studio recording fiddler. As a teacher, she has completed training with Suzuki, Mark O’Connor Fiddle, and String Sprouts methods. 

Lydia has built an online following with her fiddle tune videos, posting a tune every day on TikTok for 100 days in 2024.  In addition her popular “Waltz Wednesday” YouTube series boasts thousands of views. She is the fiddler for “Release the Squirrels”, a new bluegrass band based in Missoula MT. Lydia is also a frequent duo partner with celebrated singer/songwriter Miller Campbell.

Lydia has diverse experience both teaching and performing, but has a heart for administrative work too. Lydia is the Secretary of the Montana State Old Time Fiddlers Association and previously served as Educational Programming Manager at Omaha Conservatory of Music, both are 501(c)(3) non-profit music organizations.  She enjoys working “behind the scenes” to create educational opportunities for students and share the love of fiddling.

Lydia resides in the Mission Valley of Montana with her husband and two children where she enjoys yarn, gardening, chicken keeping and sourdough baking.

Wes Westmoreland was born into a family whose musical history goes back six generations. His granddad, H. D. Westmoreland Sr., an accomplished fiddler, began teaching Wes to play at age nine. The fiddle tunes Wes had heard all his life came easy to him and he began to play in contests all over the state of Texas. At these contests he was exposed to the music of the fiddle masters of Texas.

If you listen to Wes play today, you will sounds of Major Franklin, Benny Thomasson, Norman and Vernon Solomon, Louis Franklin, Texas Shorty and other fiddlers that became his heroes. He also was heavily influenced by the music and sound of Bob Wills and other Western swing pioneers. During his high school years he played country dances with his Granddad. They also traveled to many contests together. At the age of 18, he won the National Junior Championship Fiddle Contest held in Weiser, Idaho.

Wes attended college at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. While there he played with the Tarleton Jazz Band and won Best Soloist at the State competition. During his college years he also played with Red Stegall and Moe Bandy and still managed to earn a degree in Chemistry. Wes is a seven time World Champion Fiddler, a ten time Halletsville Fiddlers Frolics Texas State Champion Fiddler, a seven time “TOTFA” Champion, and has finished in the “top 3 ” his last two trips to the National Fiddle Championship in Weiser, Idaho. In 1989 Wes made the move to Branson, Missouri to play for Boxcar Willie for one year before accepting a job to play for Mel Tillis. He played for Mel for ten years. During those years he not only played shows in Branson, he also traveled with Mel and the “Statesiders” to the Grand Ol Opry in Nashville, Las Vegas, Okinawa, and all across the United States. During his stay with Mel, Wes learned to coordinate an 18 piece band and played not only first, but also second, third and fourth fiddle harmonies.

Wes has a degree in pharmacy and now works at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas.