Stuart Duncan could easily be called America’s favorite fiddler. Raised in Southern California, Stuart took up the fiddle at age seven. Since then, he has chalked up a career that includes four Grammys, a slew of Academy of Country Music Awards, and nine titles as the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Fiddle Player of the Year. Now a multi-instrumentalist with a staggering command of not only the fiddle but also the banjo, the guitar, and the mandolin, Stuart Duncan has built upon his bluegrass roots to become an artist that defies categorization and surpasses the limits of any specific genre.

The consummate sideman, Duncan has lent his taste and tone to countless artists and projects. Whether trading dizzying instrumental licks with the likes of Béla Fleck and Jerry Douglas or adding complimentary fills for vocalists Alan Jackson and Barbara Streisand, Duncan is known for his astute, improvisational style that sparkles without upstaging. He’s performed with Plant Krauss, Diana Krall, Lyle Lovett, Béla Fleck, Steven Tyler, and Elvis Costello.  Though no one has a true count of how many recordings feature Stuart Duncan, the current estimate nears 900. Notable recordings include his collaboration with Dolly Parton on her bluegrass albums The Grass is Blue and Little Sparrow, Bela Fleck’s Bluegrass Heart, and the Grammy-winning O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. The most provocative evidence of Duncan’s cross-genre expansion may be his collaboration with Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer and Yo-Yo Ma on Grammy-winning The Goat Rodeo Sessions and Not Our First Goat Rodeo.

Despite the awards and accolades, Stuart Duncan remains one of the humblest men in the music business. A father of three, he spends his time off rebuilding rare instruments and making music with his wife of 35 years, Dieta.