Edgar Meyer

The masterful skills of Edgar Meyer -- whether as bassist or composer; in bluegrass, classical, or a mix of genres -- earned him a MacArthur Genius Grant in 2002, but that is not the only accomplishment of this remarkable musician. Following his initial emergence in the late '80s, Meyer rose to acclaim with his solo albums and collaborations with his similarly inclined contemporaries, banjo player Béla Fleck, dobroist Jerry Douglas, and violinist Mark O'Connor. He has five Grammy Awards to his name, including three for albums with mandolin player Chris Thile: 2000's Appalachian Journey, 2011's Goat Rodeo Sessions (with Yo-Yo Ma and Stuart Duncan), and 2014's Bass & Mandolin. The former two albums also topped the Billboard Classical Albums chart, as did 2020's Not Our First Goat Rodeo. But Who's Gonna Play the Melody?, a collaboration with bassist Christian McBride, arrived in 2024.