By Rick Rick Zeigler—
MUNCIE, IN— GRAMMY-winning bluegrass greats Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper will be performing a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2026 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. This concert is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County and will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, July 11th at Canan Commons (600 S. Walnut Walnut St.) in the heart of downtown Muncie, IN. The John Beatice Band will open the show.
Widely considered the finest bluegrass fiddler of his generation, Michael Cleveland has been recognized 12 times as the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) “Fiddler of the Year,” and in 2018 he was inducted into the National Fiddler’s Hall of Fame. His recording Fiddler’s Dream was nominated in 2018 for a GRAMMY for “Best Bluegrass Album,” and in 2019, his album Tall Fiddler won that award. Also in 2019, Cleveland’s amazing life of adversity and achievement was featured in the documentary film Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story. In 2022, he, like his idol Bill Monroe, was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship. And most recently, Michael’s latest recording with Jason Carter, Carter & Cleveland, won IBMA’s 2025 “Album of the Year” award and has been nominated for a 2026 GRAMMY for “Best Bluegrass Album.”
From an early age, Cleveland heard old-time and bluegrass music at local jams and festivals near his hometown of Henryville, Indiana. His grandparents hosted regular bluegrass gatherings at the American Legion, and at age four, he began playing the fiddle. He attended the Kentucky School for the Blind in Louisville, where he learned the Suzuki method of violin. While he practiced the violin at school, he played fiddle at home. Traveling with his grandparents to area bluegrass festivals, he heard many legendary players perform at Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Festival in Bean Blossom, Indiana. At the age of nine, Cleveland got to play with Monroe at the festival. When Cleveland was 12, he met music historian Dave Samuelson, who recognized the young musician’s interest and talent. Samuelson curated several Braille-labeled tapes for the young musician, which served as Cleveland’s essential listening guide to bluegrass music. Cleveland’s repertoire and musicianship grew, and in 1993 he played the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards show with the Bluegrass Youth All-Stars.
Cleveland began playing professionally after he graduated from high school, first with Jeff White and later with Dale Ann Bradley and Rhonda Vincent. Since he was young, however, Cleveland had dreamed of leading his own band. So in 2006, he formed Flamekeeper, now seven-time recipients of IBMA’s “Instrumental Group of the Year” award. Flamekeeper currently consists of Josh Richards on guitar, Nathan Livers on mandolin, Jasiah Shrode on banjo, and Chris Douglas on bass. In addition to touring with his band, Cleveland has performed with a legendary list of bluegrass greats, including a recent series of dates with Bela Fleck. When he is not on tour, Cleveland remains rooted in his local Southern Indiana community where he continues to play with friends and family.
The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, the City of Muncie, and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer. The mission of the series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” — The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music.”
Complete information about the Three Trails series can be found at www.munciethreetrails.com.
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