Rich Stillman has taught literally hundreds of students to play banjo, both face-to-face and worldwide through Internet lessons. He played and recorded with New England bands Southern Rail, Adam Dewey and Crazy Creek, The Bogus Family and WayStation, and has memorably (at least for him) played sets with Peter Rowan, James Monroe and even the Arlington High School orchestra. Rich wrote “Bluegrass Banjo from All Sides” for Mel Bay, and one of his BCN workshops was turned into a chapter in the book “Banjo Camp”. He is a two-time New England banjo champion, a one-time New Jersey banjo champion, and a six-time bluegrass banjo winner at the Lowell Banjo and Fiddle contest. Rich teaches banjo at Tufts University, Concord Conservatory of Music and Concord Academy and at The Music Emporium in Lexington.

Dave Kiphuth began playing banjo and guitar in 1962, deeply involved in the New Haven bluegrass and folk scene. By 1963, he was playing with Billy Hamilton’s New Haven based band The Ohio River Boys and later helped found the seminal CT group Apple Country. After moving to Saratoga Springs NY, he had a seven-year stretch with John Rossbach’s Chestnut Grove, and was a member of Bluegrass Union with Phil Rosenthal, Phil Zimmerman, Stacy Philips and Beth Sommers. Equally influenced by hard line Bluegrass pioneers like Earl Scruggs and Ralph Stanley, and the greats of Round Peak clawhammer style, he formed the bluegrass/old time fusion band Red Hen with Jane Rothfield, Alan Carr and his late wife Linda Schrade. Dave is currently a core member of Cecil Abel’s New England Bluegrass Band, and bluegrass-synthesis band Bolt Hill, both based in the Maine/New Hampshire seacoast region. He’s also a professional artist/illustrator, happy in the woods of Eliot ME with his cat family.

Tom Adams is a 3-time recipient of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Banjo Player of the Year award. He’s toured and recorded with some of bluegrass music’s most influential artists these past 30 years including the Johnson Mountain Boys, the Lynn Morris Band, Michael Cleveland, Blue Highway, Rhonda Vincent, and Dale Ann Bradley. Gaining national recognition in 1983 for his work with the legendary Jimmy Martin, Tom is recognized as one of the best interpreters and innovators of Scruggs-style playing. Tom’s contribution to the Earl Scruggs Tribute Album earned him the 2013 IBMA award for Recorded Instrumental Performance of the Year.

The music scene in Allison de Groot’s hometown of Winnipeg, Canada, immersion in Appalachian old-time communities, a performance degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and touring extensively throughout North America and Europe have all had a great impact on her playing. She is dedicated to honoring old-time music, the community that music creates and exploring the clawhammer banjo style. Allison de Groot combines love for old-time music, technical skill and a creative approach to the banjo forming her own sound – unique and full of personality. Although firmly rooted in old-time and music, she has shown her ability to collaborate and create outside this genre, pushing the boundaries of the clawhammer banjo.

Cathy Fink is a multi-GRAMMY® Award winning artist continuing a 43 year love affair with the banjo. Her banjo music includes original compositions played on everything from fretless minstrel-style banjos to modern replicas of instruments from the 1920s. Cathy’s first solo banjo recording, “Banjo Haiku” has become an underground bible of the old-time clawhammer style. “Banjo Talkin’”, the 2007 release with special guest, Marcy Marxer, won a GRAMMY® nomination in the “Best Traditional Folk Album” category. Nat Hentoff of The Progressive and Village voice stated, ” Her sound, phrasing, and resilient time combine with a compelling presence.” Cathy teaches banjo online at www.truefire.com, www.homespun.com, and in person at numerous camps & workshops from Augusta to Puget Sound to Mid-West and others. She is the director of “The Old Time Banjo Festival”, an annual concert in tribute to Mike Seeger at the Birchmere Music Hall.

Bruce Molsky is one of the most revered “multi-hyphenated career” ambassadors for America’s old-time mountain music. For decades, he’s been a globetrotting performer, ethnomusicologist and educator, a recording artist with an expansive discography including seven solo albums, well over a dozen collaborations and two Grammy-nominations. He’s also the classic “musician’s musician” – a man who’s received high praise from diverse fans and collaborators, a true country gentleman by way of the Big Apple.

Bruce digs deep to transport audiences to another time and place. His foils are not only his well-regarded fiddle work, but banjo, guitar and his distinctly resonant vocals. From tiny folk taverns in the British Isles to huge festival stages to his ongoing workshops at the renowned Berklee College of Music, Molsky seduces audiences with a combination of rhythmic and melodic virtuosity and relaxed conversational wit that can make Carnegie Hall feel like a front porch or parlor jam session.

Larry Marschall was a founder of the Busted-Toe Mudthumpers, predecessor of the Highwoods String Band, and since the 1960’s has played banjo with various bands including Yonder City (with Dick Staber, Tracy Schwarz and Jerry McCoury) and the West Orrtanna String Band, with whom he opened for Ralph Stanley, Jim and Jesse, Alan Ginsburg, and the Flying Wallendas. He recently returned to performing and teaching bluegrass banjo after a long digression as an astronomy professor and science writer. His banjo style, admired by his peers as both melodically and harmonically inventive, has been described as “full of dark energy”