Best of Festivals - MUSIC

Merlefest
April 23-26 ›› Wilkesboro

Founded in 1988 in memory of the late Doc Watson’s son as a fund-raiser for Wilkes Community College, Merlefest has grown into one of the nation’s preeminent bluegrass, Americana, and old-time music festivals, presenting more than a few heavyweight names. Ricky Skaggs, Gillian Welch, Sam Bush, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, The Avett Brothers, and many more have performed over the years. Among the some 65 acclaimed and rising stars performing this year are Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, and John Prine, to name a few. merlefest.org

Mountain Song Festival
September 11-13 ›› Brevard

Tucked into a wooded cove in Pisgah National Forest, Brevard Music Center’s open-air Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium and yawning star-lit lawn set an idyllic stage for the fast-paced picking, strumming, and crooning that keep crowds returning year after year to this bluegrass and Americana music experience. Festival hosts and hometown luminaries the Steep Canyon Rangers are a mainstay of the weekend, which is packed out with other notable acts. Last year’s roster included Acoustic Syndicate, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Chatham County Line, and bluegrass godfathers Del McCoury and David Grisman. While plans for the 2020 festival are still in the works, country-blues man Charley Crockett and soul singer Mavis Staples are among talents set to appear. mountainsongfestival.com

Brevard Music Festival
June 26-August 9 ›› Brevard

Brevard Music Center’s Summer Institute and Festival serves as a prestigious training program for elite young musicians from across the globe, who spend 12 weeks studying and performing alongside distinguished teaching artists from notable symphonies, conservatories, and major universities. For the festival—a six-week run of around 80 showcases—the students perform alongside faculty and many other celebrated names in classical music and beyond. Highlights of the 2020 season include a celebration of Beethoven, marking the composer’s 250th birthday with masterworks in symphony, chamber, piano, and opera, three fully staged operas, a family-friendly movie with a live symphony, and a finale showcase with Grammy-winning artists guitarist Bryan Sutton and banjoist Béla Fleck. brevardmusic.org