Stringmania camp

30/03/2026

✨️ Registrations now open for Stringmania 2026 Sep 28 - Oct 4 🥳

We're already nearly half way sold out! Check out our tutors so far on our website, and register now!

How registration works:

🔸️Register via the Stringmania website
🔸️To secure your place, register, and then either pay a deposit, or pay in fullP
🔸️Paying the deposit reserves your place at camp.

🐦 To receive Early Bird pricing, you must pay in full before July 31, with remaining due later.

Plus, scholarship applications are now open too!

To apply for a partial scholarship you will first need to register and pay the camp deposit to reserve a place. This deposit will be fully refundable if you are not awarded a scholarship, or if attending camp isn’t financially possible.

🔸️Applications open: April 1
🔸️Applications close: July 8

Apply on our scholarship page on our website and get in touch if you have any questions!

22/03/2026

Coming up next weekend Natalie and Brittany Haas come to Geelong!! Don't miss out on a afternoon where you'll watch as the power of siblings reuniting their music takes centre stage!

⏰️Sun 29 March 3.30 pm
📍Geelong West Town Hall

Natalie and Brittany Haas spent their childhood trading Bach suites and Old-Time tunes in equal measure. Then they went their separate ways and became two of the most influential string players working today.

Natalie put cello on the map of contemporary Celtic music through her duo with Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser, absorbing influences from across continents and fashioning a rhythmic approach that belongs to no single tradition. Brittany's fiddle work with Punch Brothers, Hawktail, Crooked Still, and Dave Rawlings Machine has redefined what's possible in American acoustic music, crossing genres with an approach that feels both ancient and entirely new.

Reuniting as HAAS, the duo presents chambergrass music that refuses categorisation and is sure to impress!

Book now via link in our bio

12/03/2026

🎻 Tutor Announcment 🪘

Our regular tutors and camp team members, Chris and Holly return to camp, guiding the magic and bringing it all together!

Holly Downes – Double Bass
Holly returns as Camp Manager and bass tutor, bringing her passion for supportive music education and ensemble playing. Known for her thoughtful, student-centred approach, she helps campers build confidence, strengthen technique and explore the musical depth of the double bass.

Chris Stone – Fiddle
Stringmania’s Artistic Director, Chris brings his love of ear-based learning, improvisation and collaborative ensemble playing to camp. His classes combine technical insight with creative exploration, encouraging players to expand their musical imagination within shared traditions.

✨ We’ll also be announcing a new guest tutor very soon, so stay tuned.

Intro music by featuring Chris and Holly.

11/03/2026

🎻 New Tutor Announcements 🪘

Alongside Natalie Haas (Cello Queen), Hanneke Cassel (OG Fiddle Camp Vibe Curator) and our very own Dr Nic Ng, we’re delighted to confirm some of our regular tutors returning to the Stringmania team for 2026.

Greg Sheehan – Percussion
One of Australia’s leading percussionists, Greg opens up the world of rhythm through body percussion, rhythm games and his unique Rhythm Diamonds system. His playful workshops give campers powerful rhythmic tools to energise their ensemble playing and improvisation.

Liz Young – Fiddle
Liz will lead the welcoming Strings 4 beginner class (for all ages!) and bring the joyful world of LizzieLand to camp. Expect music, dancing, stories, bubbles and plenty of joyful fiddling.

We're thrilled to welcome Greg and Liz back!

28/02/2026

We’re thrilled to announce our first tutors for 2026: two who reflect our history and one long-awaited guest! 🥳

Bookings open mid-March and we expect camp to sell out again, so be ready to book early. Those on our email list will receive early access, so sign up if you want first dibs.

✨ Natalie Haas (USA/Spain) – Cello 
Part of the very first Stringmania and a regular tutor, Natalie has significantly shaped the global fiddle/cello language. Her groove-driven accompaniment and ear-based teaching sit right at the heart of our camp culture. 

✨ Hanneke Cassel (USA) – Fiddle 
Joining Stringmania for the first time in an exclusive trip to Australia, Hanneke is a leading voice in Scottish and Cape Breton traditions and a central figure in modern fiddle camp culture. Her decades of teaching, composing and touring will bring repertoire depth, rhythmic vitality and collaborative spirit to the whole camp. 

✨ Dr Nic Ng (Australia) – Erhu 
Returning for the first time since 2018, Nic is a composer, performer and Associate Lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium, who'll guide campers through erhu tone production, ornamentation and ensemble listening, while opening space for cross-cultural collaboration.

Keep your eyes peeled for registration opening in March!

24/11/2025

📣 Have you heard???

⭐️⭐️The Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club is turning 30! ⭐️⭐️

They are delighted to be holding their 30th birthday 🎂celebrations this Saturday 29 November from 2pm till 5pm at St John's Anglican Church, Burke Rd Camberwell.

🎻 Expect a musical showcase of the present and past, with current repertoire performed by today’s members as well as fiddle club favourites from the back catalogue.

Book your tickets now for a raucous and heart-warming concert to celebrate the MSFC's grand old 30th Birthday!
🎟️ https://bit.ly/MSFC30

Please book your tickets, invite your friends and share, share, share...

🔗 https://www.facebook.com/events/1144497827877731
🔗 https://www.melbournescottishfiddlers.com/

🎵Come celebrate this great milestone with the mighty MSFC!!

Join the Melbourne Scottish Fiddlers for a raucous and heart-warming concert to celebrate their 30th Birthday! We'll be showcasing music from our...

23/11/2025

The Stringmania committee and wider community are deeply saddened by the passing of Guy Ghouse AM — an extraordinary musician and a truly wonderful human being. Guy’s musical brilliance, warmth, and generosity touched countless lives within our Stringmania family and beyond.

Beloved husband and musical partner of Gina Williams, who tutored at the inaugural 2016 camp, Guy joined us online in 2020, returning for 2022 in person. Guy gave freely of his time and talent, nurturing musicians of all ages while delighting us with his cheeky sense of humour and classic dad jokes.

His work with Gina to breathe life into Noongar language through song, brought immense joy to our camp and rippled through the wider folk community, carrying their powerful message far and wide.

Guy was one of a kind, and he will be profoundly missed. To Gina and family, we extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences.

💔

📷 Melbourne Ceili Camera

15/10/2025

Stringmania 2026: Save the Date: 28th Sep - 4th Oct 2026

What a week!

Thank you to everyone who made our 10-Year Anniversary such a special milestone — from the tutors and committee to every camper who filled the week with laughter, connection, learning, music and dance.

Campers described this year’s camp as “fantastic music, super friendly and inclusive,” and “like a family once you’ve been twice.” One participant shared, “So much playing, day and night, in great company. We learnt gorgeous and sometimes tricky tunes, led with encouragement and good humour by very talented musicians.”

Another wrote, “The best thing about the camp were the tutors — patient, smart, witty, encouraging, and brilliant musicians. As an older amateur fiddler, there was no hint of ageism or disinterest.”

For some, it was their first time: “Such a beautiful week of music and community. I can see why people keep coming back year after year.” And others summed it up more simply: “Stringmania is epic. Just go, trust me.”

04/10/2025

Camp is coming to a close for this year - with a big concert celebration tonight at Warbuton Arts Centre as part of presents!! We can’t wait to have some fun all together on stage and with the audience. It’s been a beautiful, immersive week - more on that later. For now, thank you to for these ace shots. We are on at 5pm!!

02/10/2025

Stouty Mc Stouterson wins! Joe certainly loves his stout.

23/09/2025

This is how excited we are that Stringmania (Donna Buang Music Camp) 2025 is SOLD OUT!

Our 10th Anniversary camp is booked out! If you're missing out, you can join our waiting list in case of cancellations by sending us an email titled 'waiting list'.

We are thrilled at the enthusiasm and commitment the community has shown for camp this year, and with so many new faces joining our community this year, we expect to be closing bookings significantly earlier next year. If you’re hoping to come in future, we encourage you to join our mailing list, as that way you’ll be first to know when registrations for 2026 open. We have some very special guests on the cards...

For those joining us this year, expect a full house, and an epic party! 

We can't wait to see you there,

The Stringmania (Donna Buang Music Camp) Team.