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Performances

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

Time: October 10 @ 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Venue: Historic Academy Theatre
Cost: $20 – $67

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, “the king and queen of the banjo” (Paste Magazine), have a musical partnership like no other. Béla Fleck is a fifteen-time Grammy Award winner who has taken the instrument across multiple genres, and Abigail Washburn a singer-songwriter and clawhammer banjo player who re-radicalized it by combining it with Far East culture and sounds. The two met at a square dance, began collaborating musically and eventually fell in love. Over the years, they played together most visibly in the Sparrow Quartet alongside Ben Sollee and Casey Driessen and informally at a pickin’ party here, a benefit there, or occasionally popping up in each other’s solo shows. Fans of tradition-tweaking acoustic fare eagerly anticipated that Béla & Abigail would begin making music together as a duo.

Fleck has the virtuosic, jazz-to-classical ingenuity of an iconic instrumentalist and composer with bluegrass roots. His collaborations range from his ground-breaking standard-setting ensemble Béla Fleck and the Flecktones to a staggeringly broad array of musical experiments. From writing concertos for full symphony orchestra, exploring the banjo’s African roots, to jazz duos with Chick Corea, many tout that Béla Fleck is the world’s premier banjo player.

Washburn has the earthy sophistication of a postmodern, old-time singer-songwriter who has drawn critical acclaim for her solo albums. She has done fascinating work in folk musical diplomacy in China, presented an original theatrical production, and has contributed to singular side groups Uncle Earl and The Wu-Force. In addition to being named a TED Fellow in 2012, Abigail was recently named the first US-China Fellow at Vanderbilt University, in addition to Carolina Performing Arts/Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s DisTil Fellow for 2018-2020.

On stage, Fleck & Washburn will perform pieces from their Grammy-winning self-titled debut as well as their new record, Echo in the Valley (Rounder 2017). With one eye on using the banjo to showcase America’s rich heritage and the other pulling the noble instrument from its most familiar arena into new and unique realms, Bela & Abigail meet in the mean, head-on, to present music that feels wildly innovative and familiar at the same time. Whether at home, on stage or on record, their deep bond, combined with the way their distinct musical personalities and banjo styles interact, makes theirs a picking partnership unlike any other on the planet.

On Sale Days/Times:

Academy Member Presale begins Monday, June 3, 2024. Remaining tickets will be released to the public on Friday, June 7, 2024. All sales begin at 10 AM EST.

Academy Members Level 5+ Pre-Sale: Monday, June 3, 2024
Academy Members Level 4+ Pre-Sale: Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Academy Members Level 3+ Pre-Sale: Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Academy Members Level 1+ Pre-Sale: Thursday, June 6, 2024
General Public On-Sale: Friday, June 7, 2024

Tickets:

Standard Seat: $39*
Premium Seat: $48*
Value Seat: $29*
Obstructed Seat: $20*
Box Seat: $67*
Pit Seat: $57*

*Plus taxes and fees

For more information or to purchase tickets to this performance, contact our Bank of the James Ticketing Office at (434) 846-8499.

Sponsored By:

WNRN Radio
 
National Endowment for the Arts

Know before you go:

Age Requirement

All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket for this event unless otherwise stated. All ages are welcome.

Camera Policy

Videography and audio recording during the performances are prohibited. Photography of the set on stage is allowed pre-show, post-show, and during intermission. But we do ask that you show our designers and visiting performers some love by crediting them (and by tagging us) in your social media posts.

Content Advisory

The Academy Center of the Arts offers a diverse selection of entertainment. Not all productions may appeal to or be appropriate for every guest or for all ages. Ticket buyers should take responsibility for making informed decisions regarding their purchases. We recommend visiting the official show website of each show you are coming to see at the Academy. If you ever have questions about the content or appropriateness of a show, please contact us at [email protected].

Doors Open

Unless otherwise noted, our lobby doors open 60 minutes prior to show time and house doors open 30 minutes prior to show time for seating.

Parking & Directions

Parking is available on-site and throughout downtown Lynchburg. Our parking map (linked below) shows all of the free public and paid parking available. In addition, street parking is also available on most streets.

View Parking & Directions Information

Ticketing Policies

Ticketing purchases are non-refundable. By purchasing a ticket to an event at The Academy Center of the Arts, you are agreeing to our ticketing policy. View our full ticketing policy.

Volunteer

Want to volunteer and see this show for free? Contact Mele Thompson, [email protected]for more information.