About Andrea

Andrea Beaton comes from a long line of musicians, composers and dancers. Both the Beaton and MacMaster sides of her family are well-known and respected as some of Cape Breton's finest musicians, dancers and composers. She is an award-winning fiddler, tune composer and recording artist known for her powerful bow and driving style. She tours and teaches internationally and is in great demand as a teacher at music camps and fiddling/dancing workshops.

She has released 6 solo albums, one duo album with her father, Kinnon Beaton, and 3 books of her original tunes. She also recorded an album with her family, "The Beaton Family of Mabou," in 2007 for the Smithsonian Institute. Most of her solo albums were nominated for awards, and her 2010 CD, 'Branches,' won the Canadian East Coast Music Award "Instrumental Recording of the Year!

In 2019, Andrea's collaboration with Quebec fiddler Véronique Plasse earned two East Coast Music Award nominations for their self-titled album, Beaton-Plasse. Later that year, she joined forces with Troy MacGillivray to perform at a dance in Creignish, which was recorded for their album "Face the Music," subsequently nominated for an Independent Music Award. Andrea's latest album, "Hindsight is 2020," is a retrospective compilation featuring tracks from her first six albums.

Beaton is no stranger to Broad Cove, having performed at the concert numerous times throughout the years. In 2023, Andrea and Rodney MacDonald combined their immense talent to put on an energetic ten-minute set. This year, both fiddlers will reunite again for the 68th concert and no doubt have us all dancing in no time.