Kathleen Parks
5-String Fiddle
Kathleen Parks is a fiddler, singer, and songwriter who brings joyful and creative energy to the stage and studio. Her songwriting leans toward Pop, Folk, and classic Jazz, and her fiddling blends and reimagines traditional and modern musical styles with boundless groove, virtuosity, and a playful improvisational spirit.
Kathleen has always believed in the power of crossing traditional music with her love of modern styles: bringing contemporary grooves on the fiddle to accompany her voice and blending fiddle music with modern improvisation and songwriting.
If you had to name 3:
Her fiddle influences are John Hartford, Darol Anger, and Vince Guaraldi (Piano)
Her favorite vocalists are Nancy Wilson (Jazz), Shania Twain (Country), and Donny Hathaway (Soul)
Her songwriting influences are Loretta Lynn, Harry Nilsson, Peter Rowan, Roger Miller, Elton John and Gordon Lightfoot.
In August of 2024 Kathleen released her debut solo album, Rolling Down the Line, highlighting her songwriting, original fiddle tunes, and a few choice covers from the Americana genre. Accompanied by a full band, or just her fiddle and voice, this album has the warmth and feel of some of Kathleen's favorite Americana artists and influences from the 1960s and 70s. She is currently touring this project as the Kathleen Parks Band.
From 2015 to 2025 she was a key founder, writer, and lead singer for the Boston-based band Twisted Pine, touring internationally and performing at major Bluegrass and Americana festivals including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Green Mountain Music & Roots, Rockygrass, and Ossipee Valley Music Festival. In October of 2024 Twisted Pine released their fourth record, Love Your Mind, with Signature Sounds Recordings.
Over the years Kathleen has shared the stage with some of her heroes such as Paula Cole, Sammy Rae & The Friends, Gordon Lightfoot, Aoife O’Donovan, Jerry Douglas, Darol Anger, Sierra Hull, The Milk Carton Kids, Brian O’Donovan, John Whelan, and others.
In 2017 she appeared as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a production of Peer Gynt.
She was a featured covergirl for Fiddler Magazine in 2022.
She was a featured artist on Darol Anger’s record Diary of a Fiddler II: The Empty Nest in 2025.
