The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is continuing its long history of honoring the United States of America’s rich, artistic heritage with the announcement of the 2022 NEA National Heritage Fellowship recipients, which includes fiddle maestro, Michael Cleveland. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the program, the USA’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. A film celebrating the 2022 class of artists and tradition bearers will premiere in the fall on arts.gov.
“In their artistic practices, the NEA National Heritage Fellows tell their own stories on their own terms. They pass their skills and knowledge to others through mentorship and teaching,” stated National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “These honorees are not only sustaining the cultural history of their art form and of their community, they are also enriching our nation as a whole.”
Generally considered one of the top bluegrass fiddlers of his generation, Michael Cleveland has been recognized 12 times as the International Bluegrass Music Association’s “Fiddler of the Year” and in 2018 was inducted into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame. His recording Fiddler’s Dream was nominated in 2018 for a GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album, and in 2019, he won for his album Tall Fiddler.
In 2019, Cleveland’s remarkable life of adversity and accomplishment was featured in the documentary film Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story.
For more on the NEA National Heritage Fellowship and a complete list of 2022 recipients, visit arts.gov. For more on Michael Cleveland, visit www.flamekeeperband.com
(headline image: Michael Cleveland – Photo by Amy Richmond)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.