Nashville Best Of 2026 · Best Instrumentalist
Béla Fleck
A banjo virtuoso who has carried bluegrass’s signature instrument into jazz, classical, and world music, winning 18 Grammys along the way. Nashville-based Béla Fleck is our pick for the best instrumentalist in Nashville.
The Verdict
Why Fleck Earns the Title
Nashville is full of world-class pickers, but Béla Fleck stands apart. For more than four decades, he has redefined what the banjo can do, playing with blazing speed and astonishing creativity across bluegrass, jazz, classical, and music from around the world. Listening to him is a reminder that the five-string banjo can be as expressive as any instrument on earth.
His résumé is hard to match: 18 Grammy Awards plus a Latin Grammy, in fields ranging from country and bluegrass to jazz, pop, classical, and world music. In 2026 alone, he produced a new album with opera star Renée Fleming featuring Dolly Parton and Vince Gill, toured with his Bluegrass Heart band, and announced a live album recorded at the Ryman.
18
Grammy Awards, Plus a Latin Grammy
1988
Formed Béla Fleck & the Flecktones
2022
Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album
Oct 16
New Live Album from the Ryman
Essential Listening
Where to Start
New to Béla? These three show just how far one banjo can go.
Béla Fleck & the Flecktones
The genre-defying quartet he formed in 1988 with bassist Victor Wooten, percussionist Roy “Futureman” Wooten, and Howard Levy, blending jazz, bluegrass, and funk. Start with the classic “Big Country.”
My Bluegrass Heart
His triumphant return to his bluegrass roots and the third chapter of his bluegrass trilogy. It won the 2022 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album with a lineup of today’s finest pickers.
Live Heart at the Ryman (2026)
Recorded at the Ryman in January 2022 with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Sierra Hull, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, and more. It arrives October 16, 2026, on 2CD and 3LP.
The Story
The Banjo Without Borders
Born in New York City and named after composer Béla Bartók, Fleck fell for the banjo as a kid after hearing Earl Scruggs play the theme to The Beverly Hillbillies. He came up in progressive bluegrass, touring with the pioneering band New Grass Revival, before forming Béla Fleck & the Flecktones in 1988.
From his home base in Nashville, he has taken the banjo places no one thought it could go: jazz clubs, symphony halls, and collaborations with artists from Chick Corea to Renée Fleming. Along the way he has earned Grammys across more genres than almost any musician, and he continues to champion the Nashville bluegrass community that shaped him.
“We somehow managed to take and own the stage that night.”
Béla Fleck, on his 2022 Ryman concert
Where to Hear Him
Catch Béla Live
Fleck tours the world, but his Nashville connections run deep, from the Ryman stage to the city’s tight-knit bluegrass scene.
The 2026 Tour
Fleck and his Bluegrass Heart band are touring North America through December 10, 2026, celebrating the new live album.
Live Heart at the Ryman
Relive his legendary night at the Mother Church on the new live album, out October 16, 2026, on 2CD and 3LP through Thirty Tigers. Planning your own visit? See why the Ryman Auditorium is our Best Live Music Venue.
Nashville’s Bluegrass Scene
For a taste of the tradition Fleck champions, head to The Station Inn, our Best Bluegrass Venue, where top pickers gather for the famous Sunday night jam.
Hear the Banjo Like Never Before
Catch a show, grab the new Ryman live album, and discover why Béla Fleck is one of the greatest musicians Nashville calls its own.