String fans of all stripes should run, not walk, to the Freight for tonight’s Shasta String Celebration! Hosted by Grand National Fiddle Champion siblings Tristan and Tashina Clarridge, the performance spotlights some of the brightest stars in acoustic music, fresh from a week of musical exploration at the Shasta String Summit. A glance at the lineup is enough to demonstrate the wildly multifarious, sublimely tuneful possibilities this evening offers: bluegrass and folk legend Mollie O'Brien, Indian violin maestro Kala Ramnath, wildly inventive cello goblin Rushad Eggleston, Appalachian music master John Herrmann, jazz violin ace Billy Contreras, Appalachian fiddle phenom Brittany Haas, bluegrass guitar master David Grier, Irish tenor banjo virtuoso Dave Cory, tabla master Ty Burhoe, and chambergrass innovators The Bee Eaters promise to immerse us in a musical nirvana of cross-genre collaborations!

Winner of a Grammy and multiple International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards, Mollie is one of roots music’s finest vocal interpreters, her smooth, smoky voice bringing power and deep expression to old-time, folk, blues, and gospel music, both solo and with her brother Tim, and in duos with stellar guitarist Rich, a beloved fixture in the Colorado acoustic music scene.

Violin maestro Kala is among the most outstanding instrumental musicians in the North Indian classical genre. She specializes in the style known as gayaki ang, in which the violin imitates vocal music. Combining complex, playful improvisation with rich lyricism, Kala’s violin playing is also characterized by its elegant tone and deep expressiveness.

A wildly inventive performer, Rushad has spent the past two decades revolutionizing cello playing, co-founding folk-bluegrass sensation Crooked Still, sharing a Grammy nomination of Fiddlers 4 with Darol Anger, Michael Doucet, and Bruce Molsky, and founding the cello-driven rock band Tornado Rider.

A masterful bluegrass guitarist with a sharp wit, David is one of the premier acoustic guitarists in the world. In addition to playing on four Grammy Award-winning albums, David is an Acoustic Guitar Magazine Artist of the Decade (2000) and three-time International Bluegrass Music Association Guitar Player of the Year.

Ty, a disciple of the great Indian tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain since 1990, is wholly dedicated to music as a career and as a spiritual path. His unique collaborations weave tabla with other world traditions, in work with a broad range of artists from Bela Fleck to Mamadou Diabate to Kitaro.

Old-time fiddle phenomenon Brittany has toured the world with folk/bluegrass sensation Crooked Still and Darol Anger's Republic of Strings.

One of the world’s great jazz violinists, Billy is versed in a wide range of musical styles. He currently tours with country music legend George Jones, and recently recorded with Willie Nelson, Charlie Louvin, and gospel singer Candy Staten.

Dave is a leading exponent of Irish tenor banjo, with driving, impeccable rhythm, innovative variations, and abounding virtuosity coupled with profound understanding of the traditional idiom.

A master of Appalachian mountain music, John is equally adept on banjo, fiddle, mandolin, bass, and guitar, and has performed numerous times at the Smithsonian Folk Festival, and the National Heritage Award Ceremony.

Grand National Fiddle Champions and northern California natives Tashina and Tristan grew up in the company of these musicians, appearing dozens of times on the Freight & Salvage stage with Laurie Lewis, Darol Anger, Crooked Still, Bill Evans, Scott Nygaard, Mike Marshall and their own group The Bee Eaters. Both have risen to become much-sought-after performers and teachers in the new acoustic tradition. The Bee Eaters, Tristan and Tashina’s trio with hammer dulcimer wizard Simon Chrisman, combines the finely calibrated arrangements of chamber music with bluegrass's playful virtuosity.

Visit the Shasta Music Summit's website

Listen to a track from the Bee Eaters: