Week 4
Bluegrass Week
Guest Master Artist
Stuart Duncan

World-renowned fiddler Matt Glaser writes: “Stuart Duncan is the apotheosis of fiddling; the greatest, most creative bluegrass fiddle player ever. But honestly, the truth is more than that... he is one of the finest, most fully realized violin players in any idiom. Stuart is able to improvise perfect and utterly new ideas that are exactly what the musical moment requires, and he’s able to do this at the frighteningly fast tempos required in today’s contemporary bluegrass with perfect tone and intonation. Stuart has performed on thousands of recording sessions featuring all of Nashville’s finest players and singers. His discography is approaching the size of a metropolitan telephone directory, and his recording career demonstrates an ability to shift easily from the most ancient-sounding Appalachian tune to some jazz and funk-inflected contemporary melody. Stuart’s fiddle playing is deeply rooted in the tradition of such masters as Benny Martin and Byron Berline, but is also completely and thrillingly new. Stuart also sings, writes songs, and plays mandolin, guitar and banjo. Stuart is a two-time Grammy Award winner as a member of the Nashville Bluegrass Band, a 1999 Academy of Country Music award winner for “Fiddle Player of the Year,” and winner of the IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year a record-setting eight times.”