Alison Brown. Photo: Russ Harrington
Presented by D’Addario & Guild Hall
Guild Hall and D’Addario welcome Grammy Award-winning banjoist Alison Brown for an evening rooted in American tradition and shaped by global influence. A pioneering artist, Brown expands the banjo’s voice beyond bluegrass, drawing on jazz, folk, Celtic, and international idioms to create music that is both grounded and exploratory.
Central to this performance are Brown’s musical partnerships. Joined by a circle of trusted collaborators, she creates a dynamic, conversational program where original works and reimagined roots material unfold through shared creativity. Each artist brings a distinct perspective, and together they weave a sound that reflects both deep heritage and cross-cultural exchange.
Through these collaborations, Brown reveals the banjo as a global instrument—capable of bridging styles, stories, and traditions.
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Alison Brown
Alison Brown is a GRAMMY-winning musician, producer, former investment banker (Harvard AB, UCLA MBA), and co-founder of The Compass Records Group. Known for blending bluegrass and jazz, she has received acclaim from The Wall Street Journal, "CBS Sunday Morning," "NPR," and USA Today. Her latest release, "On Banjo," features collaborations with Steve Martin, Kronos Quartet, Sierra Hull, and others. Alison is a USA Artists Fellowship recipient, a Distinguished Achievement Award winner, and the first female banjoist inducted into the American Banjo Museum’s Hall of Fame. Alison also launched a banjo school on ArtistWorks in 2023.
Photo: Neil Culbertson
Sponsors
Radio Partner: Long Island Radio Broadcasting
Performing Arts programs are supported by 2026 season sponsors Galia Meiri-Stawski and Axel Stawski, with additional lead support from Henry and Peggy Schleiff, The Melville Straus Family Endowment, Monica and Peter Tessler, and Vital Projects Fund.
Guild Hall’s Performing Arts programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Music Programming is supported in part by The Ellen and James S. Marcus Endowment for Musical Programming, and the Anne Wolf Concert Fund.
Additional support provided by Friends of the Theater: Natascia Ayers and Jim Ciquera, Bonnie and Joel Bergstein, Gene Bernstein and Kathy Walsh, Amy Cooney and Marty Feinman, John and Joan D’Addario, Suzanne and John Golden, Hilarie and Mitchell Morgan, Steve and Susan Pesner and Peace, in memory of Michéle Pesner, whose entire life was devoted to all aspects of culture, The Schaffner Family Foundation, Lisa Schultz and Ezriel Kornel, Stacey and Oliver Stanton, and Susi and Peter Wunsch.
