The fiddle and the drum

Renée Fleming with Béla Fleck 

Featuring Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Sierra Hull, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, & more

The Fiddle and the Drum brings together 5x Grammy winning soprano Renée Fleming and 19x Grammy-winning banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck for a celebration of Appalachian folk music. Produced by Béla Fleck, the album mines a rich vein of America’s musical heritage, weaving the expressive depth of Fleming's voice with the brilliance of Fleck’s banjo, backed by an all-star bluegrass line up and special guests including Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Mike Bub, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Sierra Hull, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan and Bryan Sutton. Through mountain songs, haunting ballads, and folk hymns, The Fiddle and the Drum honors the roots and emotional power of Appalachia, just in time for America’s 250th anniversary.

Fleming and Fleck have unveiled the album’s debut single, “In The Pines,” featuring vocals from 11x Grammy-winning icon Dolly Parton. A folk song of woe and tall tales,“In The Pines” is a traditional American melody rooted in the Appalachian region that dates back to the 1870s.

Fleming and Fleck will bring The Fiddle and the Drum to the stage this year with a series of special live performances, featuring Fleck’s rising all-star bluegrass band My Bluegrass Heart. The duo will make their debut at Nashville’s storied Grand Ole Opry on May 16. Additional appearances include the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, as well as performances at the Chautauqua Institution, with more dates to be announced soon. The run will culminate with a special concert at New York City’s legendary Carnegie Hall on December 3. Guests from the album will join the line up along the way, including Aoife O’Donovan and Sierra Hull.