Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

Michael Cleveland is a Grammy-winning bluegrass fiddler from Henryville, Indiana performing with his group FLAMEKEEPER, seven-time recipients of the IBMA’s “Instrumental Group of the Year” award.

The tension between tradition and innovation is at the core of bluegrass music, and the fiddle playing of Michael Cleveland exemplifies this musical tug of war. As a boy, Cleveland heard a local fiddler play “Orange Blossom Special,” which sparked a lifelong obsession with the tune that mimics that sound of a train. Cleveland’s improvisational versions push the piece’s descriptive tones and percussive bowing to a new level. With an encyclopedic memory for melodies, and an uncanny intuition for improvisation, Cleveland’s music is both rooted in tradition and fueled by his melodic imagination.