“You shred.”
— Miley Cyrus
Tony Trischka is one of the most influential banjo players in the roots music world. In his 45 years as a professional musician, his stylings have inspired generations of bluegrass and acoustic players.
He’s been nominated twice for a Grammy award, at both the 40th and 50 annual Grammy ceremonies.
He won three awards at the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association gathering, including Recorded Event of the Year and Banjo Player of the Year. In 2009, his album Territory (Smithsonian Folkways) was named Best Americana Album at the Independent Music Awards.
Tony produced Steve Martin’s 2011, Grammy nominated Rare Bird Alert (Rounder), featuring performances by Paul McCartney and the Dixie Chicks.
Tony was the musical director and associate producer of the 2011 documentary Give Me the Banjo, which aired on PBS.
As one of the instrument’s top teachers he has created numerous instructional books, DVDs, CDs and the groundbreaking Tony Trischka School of Banjo that is the online banjo home for students from around the world.
In 2012, Tony became a United States Artists Friends Fellow in recognition of the excellence of his work. In 2017 he was inducted into the American Banjo Museum’s Hall of Fame.
He’s just completed his 16th album, This Favored Land, a Civil War saga, to be released later this year.