About Me
Billy Contreras took up fiddle and bow at age six, because he wanted to "make sparks fly" from the instrument as he had once seen Charlie Daniels do on television. Since then Billy has recorded two albums, traveled extensively, and performed with numerous artists and musicians.In August of 1997 Billy opened for Lionel Hampton at the famed Blue Note in Manhattan. Most recently Hampton invited Billy to perform at the 1998 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho. The festival offered Billy the opportunity to showcase his talents alongside other noted musicians such as Diana Krall, Russel Malone, Christian McBride, Kenny Barron and the Ray Brown Trio. Billy performed in Wednesday night's opening concert and closed out on Sunday as a featured Soloist with Lionel's Big Band.In addition, Billy has performed as a special guest with the Nashville Symphony in 1996 and 1998. In 1996 he capped his contesting career by winning the prestigious Old Time National Junior Fiddle Championship. Prior to that, he appeared in an ensemble of fiddling legends in a special tribute to Bill Monroe on the CBS televised Grand Ole Opry 70th Anniversary celebration. Billy has also performed at the Nashville Summer Lights Festival, Chet Atkins Musician Days, The Tennessee Center for the Performing Arts, the Tennessee Fall Homecoming at the Museum of Appalachia, Dollywood Sundown Hoedown (featured with Jack Greene, Connie Smith, and Jeanne Pruett), Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music, and the Opryland Hotel.In 1995 Billy made his national television debut on TNN's Music City Tonight, trading quips with host Charlie Chase, and even--at Charlie's request--giving him a few quick fiddling tips. Another appearance on TNN featured Billy playing fiddle for Hank Thompson on Prime Time Country. Billy has also appeared twice on WSM Radio's Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree.Informally and formally, Billy has played with numerous noted musicians; some of them include David "Dawg" Grisman, legendary session fiddler Buddy Spicher, Country Music Hall of Famer Merle Haggard, Bluegrass great Chubby Weiss, virtuoso Mark O'Connor, Berklee's String chair Matt Glaser, Turtle Island's Darol Anger, and The Bob Wills' Texas Playboys under the direction of Leon Rausch and Tommy Allsup.Notable jazz greats include John Blake Jr., Al Grey, Frank Foster, Russel Malone, and of course, Lionel Hampton. Billy has done sessions with members of the original Texas Playboys and Hank Thompson, among others.Mark O'Connor, who wrote the liner notes for Billy's debut album, describes the youngster as "a natural musician, playing with ease the ideas he collects as he encounters new musical influences..." At a September 1995 Nashville concert Billy was introduced backstage by Mark O'Connor to the late Stephanie Grapelli, the world's most renowned jazz violinist. Upon Mark's urging, Billy played a tune for the great maestro, using O'Connor's own fiddle.With so many accomplishments already under, Billy appears to have a bright and sparkling future in store for him; and who knows, perhaps one day the growing number of fans he is amassing will actually behold sparks flying from his fiddle as he continues to set the music world on fire.
(Bio from http://www.southlandrecords.com/contrerasbilly.htm)
