Grammy winners Abigail Washburn and Béla Fleck — named "king and queen of the banjo" by Paste Magazine — are coming to the Koger Center on Saturday, Feb. 22 for a symphonic performance with the South Carolina Philharmonic.

We were excited and more than a little starstruck when we got to pick Fleck's brain about banjo-playing, what it's like to perform with the love of his life, his go-to tour snacks + more.

What’s your favorite thing about collaborating with Abigail?

Béla: Abby takes lots of cookie breaks. I like that in a musician.

Actually, it's her deeply musical self that is my favorite, along with the way she commits to the musical moment.

You two are known for combining your distinct styles — can you tell our readers more about that?

Béla: Yes. Abby plays clawhammer, which is an older style connected to the African roots of the banjo. I play in the three-finger style pioneered by Earl Scruggs. The tricky part is lining these two styles up and making a complete sound from just those elements.

Abby plays more relaxed, and I tend to play more aggressively on the front end of the beat, so we have had to meet in the middle.

What have you been listening to lately?

Béla: Zakir Husain. He is an ongoing inspiration, although we lost him a month ago from this physical plane...

You did a session for NPR a few years back that your then-4-year-old peacefully slept through. Has he gotten into banjo since?

Béla: He's now 11 and plays the fiddle. We have a 6-year-old who loves drums and piano. No banjo interest so far, but it's not over yet.

Have you played in Columbia before?

Béla: I first played Columbia in the 80s with New Grass Revival, and later with the Flecktones. I’ve always enjoyed being there.

And now, for the really hard-hitting journalism: What’s your go-to road snack?

Béla: Sumo oranges. Or pizza. Or gluten-free vodka. Mixed with celery and dark chocolate.

Actually, I only eat monthly.*

Show info + tickets
Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect the results of the 2025 Grammy Awards, where Béla Fleck won his 19th Grammy in the category of Best Jazz Instrumental Album. A previous version of this article described him as an 18-time Grammy winner.