Renée Fleming and Béla Fleck Teaming Up for Collaborative Bluegrass Album

5x Grammy-winner and Tony Award nominee (Carousel) Renée Fleming and 19x Grammy-winning banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck have announced The Fiddle and the Drum, a collaborative album celebrating Appalachian bluegrass and folk music. The album is set for release on May 29 via Thirty Tigers and is available for pre-order and pre-save HERE.

Arriving in time for the United States’ 250th anniversary, The Fiddle and the Drum draws from a deep well of America’s musical heritage. Across mountain songs, haunting ballads, and folk hymns, the album pairs Fleming’s expressive voice with Fleck’s banjo, joined by leading voices from the bluegrass and country worlds to celebrate the traditions of Appalachian music.

To herald the announcement, 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. Listen to it below.

“It was a dream to have the incomparable Dolly Parton sing on the album,” says Fleming. “I have always loved her pristine sound, and her iconic status is no accident—her artistry and goodness come through in every beautiful note. It’s the same spirit that drives her constant, creative philanthropy.” Fleck adds, “Pure music, heart, generosity, and authenticity—all in the same remarkable person.”

“I was so happy to join the wonderful, talented Renée Fleming on a version of ‘In The Pines.’ I grew up singing that song in the Smoky Mountains, then I sang it with my family on my TV show back in the ’70s, and then years later I released it on my Heartsongs album,” shares Parton. “I love that I get to do it again, this time as a duet with Renée Fleming.”

Though best known for her career on the world’s great opera stages, Renée Fleming has long held a deep love for American folk music. Nearly two decades ago, she and Béla Fleck first discussed the idea of recording an album rooted in the Appalachian tradition. After years of busy schedules kept the idea on the back burner, the two finally revisited the project in 2023 and brought The Fiddle and the Drum to life.

Recorded in Nashville, TN with Béla Fleck serving as producer, The Fiddle and the Drum features a host of world-class bluegrass musicians alongside guest appearances from some of the genre’s most celebrated artists. Additional contributions come from Vince Gill, Jerry Douglas, Aoife O’Donovan, Sierra Hull, and Sarah Jarosz.

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 Carnegie Hall on December 3. Guests from the album will join the lineup along the way, including Aoife O’Donovan and Sierra Hull.