World famous banjo virtuouso Béla Fleck to give first Estonian concert in 28 years
US banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck is to appear in concert in Estonia next year, nearly 30 years since he last played here.
Fleck, an 18-time Grammy award winner, is to perform at the Alexela Concert Hall with his band Beatrio, on February 11, 2026, ahead of the annual Jazzkaar festival in April.
"It is hard to find a musician who has pushed the possibilities and technical boundaries of their instrument as powerfully as Béla Fleck has. His work proves that the banjo can sound convincing in everything — from jazz to classical music and world music," said Anne Erm, Jazzkaar's artistic director.
"His Beatrio is an exceptional ensemble in which three world-class artists jointly create completely distinctive music," she added.
In addition to Fleck, Beatrio is made up of five-time Grammy Award recipient Antonio Sánchez (Mexico) on drums, and the virtuoso harpist Edmar Castañeda (Colombia).
Beatrio themselves have been nominated for next year's Grammys, in the Best Instrumental Album category.
Coming from a New York Jewish background as he did, the five-string banjo might not immediately spring to mind as an instrument of choice. However that is exactly what Fleck, 67, from a musical family and named after Hungarian composer Béla Bartók, picked at an early age.
While the four-string banjo had been most associated with jazz, Fleck has done much to elevate the five-string within that genre, as well as in classical, rock and various world music types, all while staying true to its bluegrass and folk roots too. His wife, Abigail Washburn, is also a noted five-string banjo player in her own right.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Karmen Rebane
