Boyd Benjamin

Co-Chair

From a long line of fine Gwitch’in fiddlers, Boyd Benjamin was destined to take up the traditions of his home community of Old Crow.  Well-known in the Yukon since taking up the instrument at age 14, Boyd was a 2008 National Aborigal Youth Achievement Award Winner, as well as a performer at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. A former medevac pilot for Aklan Air, Boyd currently flies for Air Canada. 

Keitha Clark

Co-Chair

Keitha Clark is an active teacher, performer and composer based in Whitehorse, Yukon. Keitha has founded fiddling programs in Teslin and Haines Junction and is the Artistic Director of the Fiddleheads. In addition to fiddling, Keitha has also coordinated the Artist in the School Program, the Community School Touring Program and is currently studying for her Masters of Education.

The Fiddleheads

Host Organization

Founded in 1998, the Fiddleheads have performed everywhere from the Canada Winter Games to the Commissioner's Christmas Party. The group travels to communities across the Yukon, collaborates with youth fiddle groups in the territory and organizes family barn dances, year end shows, care-home concerts and workshops. Their focus on connecting community and cultures through fiddling has resulted in a wide variety of collaborations, including a 2018 Bhangra video with Gurdeep Pandher that reached more than 80,000 views on YouTube and, more recently, a collaborative performance of Gucho Hin with Kaska artist Dennis Shorty and the All-City Band (May 2022). 

The group also travels outside the North for performances and professional development (West Coast Youth Fiddle Summit, 2019 & 2020) and has hosted numerous guest fiddlers and fiddle ensembles from Western Canada.