Joe K. Walsh and John Mailander at Victoria Valley Chapel

Hailed by David Grisman as a “wonderful mandolin player”, and by Darol Anger as “one of the finest mandolin players ever”, Portland, Maine-based Joe K. Walsh is known for his exceptional tone and taste, and his collaborations and recordings with acoustic music luminaries including Darol Anger, Brittany Haas, Grant Gordy, Molly Tuttle, Sam Grisman, Mike Block, Danny Barnes, Scott Nygaard, Matt Flinner, Matt Munisteri, Mike Marshall’s Ger Mandolin Ensemble, and pop-grass darlings Joy Kills Sorrow, a band he co-founded. He has performed all over North America, Europe, New Zealand and Japan. After a number of award-winning years with bluegrass stars the Gibson Brothers, Joe currently splits his time between the stylistically-omnivorous string band Mr Sun (featuring Darol Anger, Grant Gordy and Aidan O’Donnell), a duo with Matt Flinner, and Red Skies, a bluegrass band featuring Alex Rubin, BB Bowness and Steve Roy. His most recent solo record “Trust and Love” was released in 2025 on Adhyaropa Records, which also released his previous record ”If Not Now, Who?”. An in-demand educator, Joe is an assistant professor at the Berklee College of Music. He was director of the Berklee American Roots Weekend string camp, currently co-directs the Ossipee Valley String Camp, and is coordinator of Swannanoa Mandolin and Banjo Week. He teaches regularly at music camps and workshops all over North America and Europe, and teaches online through Peghead Nation. 

John Mailander is an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist based in Nashville, TN. As a performer, producer, composer, educator, and recording artist, John is known for his voice on the fiddle, mandolin, and other stringed instruments. He is a member of Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers, and the leader of his own project, John Mailander’s Forecast. His playing can be heard on albums by Billy Strings (including the Grammy-winning album Home), Noah Kahan, Joy Williams, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lucy Dacus, Molly Tuttle, Darol Anger, Joe K. Walsh, Chatham County Line, Sam Burchfield, and many more. As a touring musician, John has worked closely with artists including Billy Strings, Mighty Poplar, Lindsay Lou, Sam Grisman, Peter Rowan, Keller Williams, Bella White, Sierra Hull, Tony Trischka, Jacob Jolliff, Ruth Moody, Maya De Vitry, Lee Ann Womack, Rev. Jeff Mosier, and more. He played fiddle for the premier of Steve Martin & Edie Brickell’s musical, Bright Star, in New York. As a member of Bruce Hornsby’s Noisemakers, he has had opportunities to make music on stage with artists and musical heroes such as John Scofield, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride, Sam Amidon, Shawn Colvin, and The Wood Brothers.