Tess Hartis

Tess Hartis is a fiddler based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Classically trained from the age of eight, she earned degrees in Violin Performance and Music Education from the University of South Carolina. During her university years, Tess fell in love with traditional Irish music, immersing herself in the style through transcriptions, workshops, and countless hours studying recordings and videos.

Bringing together her classical background, deep self-taught understanding of traditional styles, and experience as an educator, Tess offers a thoughtful and well-rounded approach to teaching beginning fiddle students.

She has performed across the United States as well as in Germany, Italy, and the Bahamas, in a variety of genres and settings. In the Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Annapolis area, she is an active performer and session leader in the Irish music community. Tess also performs on the medieval vielle with Istanpitta, a Texas-based early music ensemble, and is occasionally active in the Scottish music scene—earning first prize in Scottish fiddling at the 2018 Charleston Highland Games. In classical settings, she has performed in violin sections with orchestras across the eastern United States, notably the South Carolina Philharmonic and Charleston Symphony.

In addition to fiddling, Tess is a singer who enjoys performing both traditional and liturgical music. With a passion for sharing the joy of music, she has taught in diverse settings including public school orchestras, private violin and fiddle studios, and community programs. She has served as a whistle, fiddle, and group class instructor at the Baltimore Irish Music School and taught the Fiddle Fundamentals class at the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat in 2023.

When she isn’t making music, Tess works as a software engineer and enjoys spending her free time painting, drawing, and cooking.