Sierra Hull

Grammy-Nominated Mandolin Virtuoso, Singer-Songwriter & Modern Bluegrass Innovator

Biography & Career

Born September 27, 1991, in Byrdstown, Tennessee, Sierra Hull is widely recognized as one of the most gifted and inventive mandolin players of her generation. Beginning the instrument at age eight after receiving it as a Christmas gift, she quickly emerged as a child prodigy within the traditional bluegrass community, sharing the Grand Ole Opry stage with Alison Krauss by age 10 and performing at Carnegie Hall by age 12.

Mentored by Krauss and signed to Rounder Records as a teenager, Hull made history as the first bluegrass musician to receive the prestigious Presidential Scholarship to Berklee College of Music. Over the course of her career, she has evolved from a traditional bluegrass standout into a genre-defying instrumentalist and songwriter, seamlessly traversing progressive bluegrass, acoustic jazz, folk, and Americana. Her boundary-pushing mastery made her the first woman ever to win the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Award for Mandolin Player of the Year in 2016—a historic accolade she has claimed six times.

Instrument Skills & Technical Style

Mandolin & Octave Mandolin: Celebrated for pinpoint alternate picking, lightning-fast cross-picking, syncopated jazz-influenced chord voicings, and modern polyphonic phrasing. She is also a prominent proponent of the octave mandolin, utilizing its deeper timbre to accompany her vocals and create rich harmonic textures.
Acoustic Guitar & Multi-Instrumentalism: An accomplished acoustic rhythm and flatpicking guitarist who incorporates percussive dynamic nuances and clawhammer-adjacent fingerstyle textures.
Vocal Artistry & Phrasing: Possesses a pure, crystalline soprano vocal tone characterized by agile dynamic control, subtle vibrato, and contemporary melodic sensibility that bridges classic high-lonesome Appalachian roots with polished modern Americana.

Band Context & Key Collaborations

Sierra Hull Touring Ensemble: Fronts her own high-octane touring band featuring elite multi-instrumentalists, navigating intricate acoustic improvisations, extended jams, and tight three-part vocal harmonies.
Highway 38 (Early Band): Her foundational family band formed during her youth, featuring her brother Cody Hull and regional musicians across Tennessee and Kentucky.
Béla Fleck's My Bluegrass Heart: Key touring and recording member of banjo visionary Béla Fleck’s landmark progressive bluegrass ensemble, trading blistering modal solos alongside titans like Billy Strings, Bryan Sutton, and Michael Cleveland.
Duo Work with Justin Moses: Regularly tours and performs in a high-wire acoustic duo with her husband, multi-instrumentalist and IBMA Dobro Player of the Year Justin Moses.

Selected Discography & Key Releases

Full-Length Studio Albums

Secrets (2008): Her acclaimed debut studio album on Rounder Records, produced by Alison Krauss and Ron Block, featuring traditional bluegrass roots and virtuosic picking on tracks like "Secrets" and "Smashville."
Daybreak (2011): Her sophomore Rounder release, showcasing developing songwriting maturity, seven original compositions, and guest appearances by Bryan Sutton and Dan Tyminski.
Weighted Mind (2016): A breakthrough, Grammy-nominated minimalist masterwork produced by Béla Fleck. Stripping away standard bluegrass band arrangements, the record places Hull's mandolin, voice, and upright bass (Ethan Jodziewicz) at the center, earning widespread critical acclaim.
25 Trips (2020): A versatile, genre-crossing album blending pop, funk, modern acoustic, and progressive folk textures across ambitious arrangements on tracks like "Poison" and "Middle of the Woods."

Notable Collaborative & Live Works

Angel Island (with Justin Moses) (2002): Her self-released early independent showcase recording, distributed locally during her prodigy years.
My Bluegrass Heart (with Béla Fleck) (2021): Grammy-winning collaborative album featuring Hull's virtuosic mandolin dialogue across intricate, long-form modern acoustic compositions.

The Most Beautiful Version of Mad World You'll Ever Hear | Sierra Hull (2022)