The IBMA Foundation is pleased to announce the return of the live Bluegrass College Band Showcase on Friday and Saturday evenings, September 30 and October 1. The showcases will be presented at the Youth Stage located at 420 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, as a part of  IBMA’s Bluegrass Live! Powered by PNC festival. The annual two-day festival wraps up a week of World of Bluegrass events including the IBMA Business Conference, the IBMA 2022 Bluegrass Music Awards, and Bluegrass Ramble Showcases.

Directors of college-level bluegrass bands and ensembles are invited to contact Nancy Cardwell at 615.260.4807 or info@bluegrassfoundation.org to confirm their participation. 

The current list of participants includes student bands from Berea College in Kentucky, Warren Wilson College in North Carolina, Bob Jones University in South Carolina, UNC-Asheville in North Carolina, Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts, Denison University in Ohio, and East Tennessee State University. We expect a line-up of 12-14 college bluegrass bands. 

Fred Bartenstein, president/board chair of the IBMA Foundation, said, “For many of us, one of the most exciting parts of World of Bluegrass week is discovering new and emerging talent at the Bluegrass College Showcase Band Showcase. Don’t miss the chance to see and hear the future of bluegrass music on the IBMA Youth Stage in Raleigh September 30 and October 1.”

For the latest info on World of Bluegrass events, lodging, and ticketing, go to https://worldofbluegrass.org.

 Return to the June 2022 issue of The Cornerstone.

Photo above: The Denison University Bluegrass Ensemble from Granville, Ohio showcases at World of Bluegrass 2021.