She will showcase her mastery of the fiddle Feb. 3 at Merrill Auditorium.

Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster and her band will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, in Portland’s Merrill Auditorium, courtesy of PCA Great Performances.

The critics rave about the Grammy-nominated Natalie MacMaster. The daughter of two musicians and niece of the legendary Buddy MacMaster, she started playing the fiddle at age 9, performed her first public concert at 10 and made her first recording at 11. Now in her 30s, she is acknowledged internationally for her brand of Celtic music that originates in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

MacMaster, who still lives in Nova Scotia, has shared the performance stage with such acts as Carlos Santana, the Chieftains, Paul Simon, the Dixie Chicks, Allison Krauss, Luciano Pavarotti and dozens of world-class symphony orchestras. Headlining her six-member band, MacMaster also tells stories and dances.

She married fiddle star Donnell Leahy in 2002. Their first child, Mary Frances Rose Leahy, was born in December and will journey to Portland with her mother for this engagement. MacMaster’s Web site is www.nataliemacmaster.com.

Tickets, $32, are available through PortTix, the box office at Merrill Auditorium by calling (207) 842-0800. Tickets can be ordered online at www.pcaGreatPerformances.org. Senior, student and group discounts are available.

Merrill Auditorium is in Portland’s City Hall; access to the auditorium is at 20 Myrtle St.