The dictionary defines apotheosis as: model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal, an exalted or glorified example.
Well, the very least one could say about Stuart Duncan is that he is the apotheosis of fiddling; the greatest, most creative bluegrass fiddle player ever. But honestly, the truth is more than that…. he is one of the finest, most fully realized violin players in any idiom. Stuart is able to improvise perfect and utterly new ideas that are exactly what the musical moment requires, and he is able to do this at the frighteningly fast tempos required in today’s contemporary bluegrass, with perfect tone and intonation. This combination of perfection and inspiration has not gone unnoticed, and so Stuart has performed on thousands of recording sessions, featuring all of Nashville finest players and singers.
His discography is approaching the size of a metropolitan telephone directory, and his recording career demonstrates his ability to shift easily from the most ancient sounding Appalachian tune, to some deeply jazz and funk-inflected contemporary melody. Stuart’s fiddle playing is deeply rooted in the tradition of such masters as Benny Martin and Byron Berline, but is itself something completely and thrillingly new. In addition to his extensive recording and performing career as a fiddler, Stuart also sings , writes songs, and plays mandolin, guitar, and banjo.
Stuart is a three-time Grammy Award winner as a member of the Nashville Bluegrass Band, an Academy of Country Music award winner for “Fiddle Player of the Year” 6 times, and a winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s “Fiddle Player of the Year” award for 7 consecutive years.
