Renée Fleming and Béla Fleck Share New Album ‘The Fiddle and the Drum’

5x Grammy-winner and Tony Award nominee (Carousel) Renée Fleming and 19x Grammy-winning banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck have unveiled their new collaborative album, The Fiddle and the Drum.

Arriving in time for the United States’ 250th anniversary, The Fiddle and the Drum is an Appalachian-inspired record, drawing from America’s musical heritage with mountain songs, ballads, and folk hymns.

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 brought The Fiddle and the Drum to the stage earlier this month with debut performances at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and Charleston, SC’s Spoleto Festival, joined by Fleck’s rising all-star bluegrass band My Bluegrass Heart with guests Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan, respectively.

Upcoming appearances include the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and a performance at the Chautauqua Institution. The run will also include special performances at Los Angeles, CA’s Walt Disney Concert Hall on September 22 and New York City’s Carnegie Hall on December 3. Guests from the album will continue to join along the way.

Renée Fleming with Béla Fleck Tour Dates

June 19, 2026 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Bluegrass Festival

August 20-22, 2026 – Chautauqua, NY – Chautauqua Institution

September 22, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA – Walt Disney Concert Hall 

December 3, 2026 – New York, NY – Carnegie Hall

Photo credit: Madison Thorn