BIO

Tessa Dalton is an accomplished fiddle player and multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, currently based in Nashville, TN. Raised in rural Idaho, she grew up getting her hands dirty on her family farm and corn maze. At a young age, she took that country work ethic on the road to win old-time fiddle championships in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. Currently studying Commercial Music at Belmont University, she's playing gigs around Nashville, in the studio recording with artists across genres, and just released her first single, “One More Night”, a pop/rock song, on all streaming platforms.

She's a 2023 semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition for two unreleased songs, and has now made two appearances at the world-famous Station Inn, debuting her original fiddle tunes. She recently achieved a National Old Time Fiddler's Champion title in the Twin Fiddle category. 

Tessa loves country music and writing/playing bluegrass, Celtic, and Americana music on the fiddle, but her vocal-originals are inspired by artists like Gracie Abrams, Alix Page, and Lennon Stella, with echoes of Foo Fighters, Coldplay, and Blink-182. Her newest single, “One More Night” is described as, “heartfelt, sad and honest… [and] seamlessly captures raw emotions in [the] songwriting” (Melodic Magazine), “hooked after one listen” (PopPassion), and, “haunting vocals with poignant guitar chords and melodies [leave] us in an atmosphere charged with emotion and nostalgia” (We Plug Good Music: Conversations About Her). 

Tessa is an up and coming studio musician, having played on multiple records and EPs, including recording at the historic RCA Studio A, Oceanway, and Starstruck. Yet, you're just as likely to find her tracking music in a home studio, parking garage, or dorm room. She loves creating and collaborating with other musicians.

Tessa is currently studying Commercial Violin Performance on scholarship at Belmont University in Nashville, studying under Dr. Ryan Joseph, Professor Justin Branum, Dr. Elizabeth Small, and Dr. Ela Tokarska. While at Belmont, Tessa regularly performs with the Belmont Symphony and World Fiddle Ensemble, also performing with the Bluegrass, Bel Canto, Phoenix and Southbound ensembles. She has played in the award-winning Christmas at Belmont and performed with the winning group for the Fall 2023 Christian Music Showcase and at the Best of the Best Showcase in April 2024 (Belmont Showcase Series).

Tessa started fiddling at age 12. She has traveled the country for fiddle camps and competitions and has earned titles in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. She is a former first place winner at the Idaho State, Utah State, and Rocky Mountain Regional Fiddle contests, has placed second at the National Old Time Fiddle Contest in Weiser, Idaho and been a quarter finalist at the Grand Master Fiddle Championship in Nashville. 

She loves playing with her sisters in their family band, studying, working on her family farm and corn maze with her cousins, and re-watching Gilmore Girls, over and over again.

Catch her playing the fiddle at shows around Nashville, and listen to her music on all streaming platforms!