A spokesperson says---
“...Renée Fleming with Béla Fleck: The Fiddle and the Drum expands upon Fleming’s long-standing interest in American vernacular music and cross-genre collaboration. Though best known for her career on the world’s great opera stages, she has long held a deep love for American folk music. Years ago, Fleming and Béla Fleck first discussed the idea of recording an album rooted in the Appalachian tradition. Busy schedules kept the project on the back burner until 2023, when they got together in Nashville to bring their forthcoming album, The Fiddle and the Drum, to life for a May 29 release on Thirty Tigers.
Fleming and Fleck will bring The Fiddle and the Drum to the stage as well, with a series of performances, featuring Fleck’s Grammy-winning My Bluegrass Heart ensemble. The duo made their debut at Nashville’s storied Grand Ole Opry on May 16. Additional appearances include the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, as well as performances at the Chautauqua Institution, with more dates to be announced soon….
The two prolific Grammy winners join forces in a program inspired by the 250th anniversary of the United States, celebrating the rich musical traditions of Appalachia through mountain songs, haunting ballads, and folk hymns. The Fiddle and the Drum showcases Fleming’s expressive singing and Fleck’s banjo virtuosity, together with Fleck’s all-star ensemble, My Bluegrass Heart, and joined by Grammy-winning vocalist Aoife O’Donovan..."
