5x Grammy-winning soprano Renée Fleming and 19x Grammy-winning banjo supremo Béla Fleck announced The Fiddle and the Drum, a collaborative album celebrating Appalachian bluegrass and folk music to be released on 29th May 2026 via Thirty Tigers.
The Fiddle and the Drum draws from a deep well of America’s musical heritage. Across mountain songs, haunting ballads, and folk hymns, the album pairs Fleming’s expressive voice with Fleck’s banjo, joined by leading voices from the bluegrass and country worlds to celebrate the enduring traditions of Appalachian music.
Though best known for her career on the world’s great opera stages, Fleming has long held a deep love for American folk music. Nearly two decades ago, she and Fleck first discussed the idea of recording an album rooted in the Appalachian tradition. After years of busy schedules kept the idea on the back burner, the two finally revisited the project in 2023 and brought The Fiddle and the Drum to life.
Recorded in Nashville, with Fleck serving as producer, The Fiddle and the Drum features a host of world-class bluegrass musicians alongside guest appearances from some of the genre’s most celebrated artists. Additional contributions come from Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Jerry Douglas, Aoife O’Donovan, Sierra Hull, and Sarah Jarosz.
Fleming and Fleck will bring The Fiddle and the Drum to the stage this year with a series of special live performances, featuring Fleck’s rising all-star bluegrass band My Bluegrass Heart. Making their debut at the Grand Ole Opry, they will also take in dates at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and a special concert at New York City’s Carnegie Hall on 3rd December 2026. Guests from the album will join the lineup along the way, including Aoife O’Donovan and Sierra Hull. No news of dates this side of the Atlantic yet.
The tracks making up The Fiddle and the Drum are listed below, and you can pre-save/ pre-order the record at this link.
1. He’s Gone Away / Storms Are on the Ocean
2. In The Pines (feat. Dolly Parton)
3. The Fiddle and the Drum (feat. Jerry Douglas)
4. My Epitaph
5. The Scarlet Tide (feat. Vince Gill)
6. The Cuckoo (feat. Jerry Douglas)
7. Blackest Crow (feat. Aoife O’Donovan)
8. Scarlet Ribbons
9. he’s gone away (reprise)
10. Pretty Bird (feat. Sierra Hull & Sarah Jarosz)
Fleming and Fleck have unveiled the album’s debut single, In The Pines, featuring vocals from Parton. A folk song of woe and tall tales, In The Pines is a traditional American melody rooted in the Appalachian region that dates back to the 1870s.
“It was a dream to have the incomparable Dolly Parton sing on the album,” says Fleming. “I have always loved her pristine sound, and her iconic status is no accident—her artistry and goodness come through in every beautiful note. It’s the same spirit that drives her constant, creative philanthropy.” Fleck adds, “Pure music, heart, generosity, and authenticity—all in the same remarkable person.”
“I was so happy to join the wonderful, talented Renée Fleming on a version of ‘In The Pines.’ I grew up singing that song in the Smoky Mountains, then I sang it with my family on my TV show back in the ’70s, and then years later I released it on my Heartsongs album,” shares Parton. “I love that I get to do it again, this time as a duet with Renée Fleming.”
