Stephen Seifert

Stephen Seifert's teaching and playing has made him a favorite with dulcimer players all over the country since 1991. In that time, he's been a featured performer at hundreds of dulcimer festivals and other music events including Kentucky Music Week in Bardstown, KY; Black Mountain Music Festival in Black Mountain, NC; Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, WV; John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC; Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, AR; Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS; Nonsuch in England, and the Tono American Music Festival, in Tono, Japan.

"While I play more than just old-time music on the mountain dulcimer, it is one of my main interests and has been for over 30 years. I'll show you how to learn tunes by listening, loosely humming along, watching my hands, and seeing them on the page.

My process involves first showing you how to play the basic skeleton of the tune. I'll then show you how to add fancier rhythms, notes, and chords. Along the way, we'll cover plenty of right and left-hand techniques like strumming, finger, flat-picking, and finger-picking."

Stephen was dulcimer soloist with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra and is featured on their Warner Classical recording of Conni Ellisor and David Schnaufer's Blackberry Winter, a concerto for mountain dulcimer and string orchestra. The piece continues to be in regular rotation on many classical stations around the U.S. (The recording album is titled "Conversations in Silence" and can be sampled and purchased on iTunes.) Stephen has performed this piece with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, the Knoxville Symphony, and many others. Conni wrote Stephen a second piece for dulcimer and full orchestra. Mark Steighner has also written two pieces for Stephen and full orchestra.

Stephen was Adjunct Instructor of Mountain Dulcimer with David Schnaufer at Vanderbilt's Blair School of Music from 1997 to 2001. He also taught, performed, and recorded with Mr. Schnaufer as a duo throughout the country. Stephen has authored ten books, four CDs, and hundreds of instructional videos.