The Center for the Arts

Genre: Americana, Bluegrass, Roots Michael Cleveland, widely regarded as the defining bluegrass fiddler of his generation, began performing professionally after high school with Dale Ann Bradley and Rhonda Vincent before forming his own band, Flamekeeper, in 2006—now a seven-time recipient of the IBMA’s Instrumental Group of the Year award. In 2026, he is featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s American Currents: State of the Music exhibit, recognizing his ongoing impact on the genre. A twelve-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year and 2018 National Fiddlers Hall of Fame inductee, Cleveland has toured and recorded with legendary artists including Béla Fleck, Tommy Emmanuel, Billy Strings, and Vince Gill. He is a four-time GRAMMY® nominee, including a nomination this year for Best Bluegrass Album with Jason Carter for their collaboration Carter & Cleveland, which also won IBMA’s Album of the Year and Song of the Year (“Outrun the Rain”) at this year’s awards. Cleveland previously won a GRAMMY® for Best Bluegrass Album in 2019 for Tall Fiddler, the same year his inspiring journey was chronicled in the documentary Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story. A recipient of the NEA National Heritage Fellowship, he continues to expand his artistic reach—his masterful fiddle playing can even be heard in the newest season of King of the Hill.