Béla Fleck & Martin Hayes in Philadelphia

Béla Fleck is an American banjoist and composer, born in New York City in 1958, who plays bluegrass, jazz and classical music. He became known through New Grass Revival and as the leader of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones; his major recordings include Flight of the Cosmic Hippo and Perpetual Motion. Béla Fleck and the Flecktones were formed in 1988 and made an early televised appearance on the PBS series Lonesome Pine Specials before becoming a long-running touring ensemble. His duo partnership with Chick Corea later produced concert tours connected to The Enchantment and Two. For the My Bluegrass Heart tour in 2021, he led an acoustic ensemble whose players included Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Sierra Hull. Although he has long been based in Nashville, he has traveled well beyond the city to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado.

Martin Hayes is an Irish fiddler, born in County Clare in 1962, whose playing is rooted in the county’s traditional music. He is known for his long partnership with guitarist Dennis Cahill, including the albums ‘The Lonesome Touch’ and ‘Welcome Here Again,’ and as a member of The Gloaming. In 2002, Martin Hayes became artistic director of the newly established Masters of Tradition festival in Bantry and performed there as part of its concert programme. After The Gloaming formed in 2011, he toured with the group, which later returned for concert residencies at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. His subsequent concert projects have included the Martin Hayes Quartet and the Common Ground Ensemble.