A fiddle from Scotland’s Orkney Islands and a mandolin from Indiana will share the stage when Hildaland performs at the Lincoln City Cultural Center on Thursday, Nov. 19.
Fiddler Louise Bichan and mandolinist Ethan Setiawan met at Berklee College of Music in Boston and first played together in the acoustic quartet Corner House. As Hildaland, they use the space afforded by two instruments to improvise and follow each other’s ideas, moving between Scottish fiddle tunes, progressive bluegrass, old-time music, jazz and original compositions.
“Ethan always has really interesting musical ideas, and takes things in directions I wouldn’t think to go,” Bichan said.
That creative partnership is at the heart of Hildaland's sound. With just a fiddle and mandolin, the duo creates arrangements that can be delicate and contemplative one moment, then burst into driving rhythms and dazzling instrumental interplay the next.
Their 2023 debut album, “Sule Skerry” pairs traditional tunes with originals inspired by landscapes and travels. The record was longlisted for album of the year at the 2024 Scots Trad Music Awards. In November 2025, they released “Fiddle Tunes,” a four-track collection of traditional fiddle repertoire arranged for fiddle and mandolin.
Setiawan, who is from Goshen, Indiana, has won the National Mandolin Championship and the RockyGrass Mandolin Championship. He has performed with Julian Lage, Darrell Scott and Mike Marshall. Bichan, a fiddler and composer, has performed at Edinburgh Castle, the Cambridge Folk Festival and the Milwaukee Irish Festival.
The concert is part of the cultural center’s 2026–27 Celtic Music Series, sponsored by Dorcas and Alan Holzapfel.
Whether you're a longtime fan of Celtic music, a bluegrass enthusiast or simply someone who appreciates beautiful acoustic music, Hildaland promises an evening of musical discovery.
Thursday’s concert begins at 7 pm at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, located at 540 NE Hwy. 101. Regular seating is $37 for adults, $34 for seniors and $20 for students. Table seating is $42 for adults, $39 for seniors and $30 for students. For more information, go to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org or call 541-994-9994.