Barry Mitterhoff to be honored at New Jersey Folk Festival

Barry Mitterhoff - photo by Alison HartwellCelebrated mandolinist Barry Mitterhoff will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award during this month’s 42nd Annual New Jersey Folk Festival.

A Jersey native, Barry has spent nearly 50 years teaching and playing bluegrass music in his home state, and the nearby metropolis of New York City. Over that time he’s worked with legends like Peter Rowan and Tex Logan, toured internationally with Tony Trischka & Skyline, and more recently, provided mandolin for Hot Tuna and Jorma Kaukonen all over the world.

Mitterhoff has also been involved with Bottle Hill, with whom he performed while in college, and Silk City, a band that still remains active to this today. Throughout his career, Barry has been recognized for his precision playing and his wry wit.

The festival will present the award in a ceremony during the stage show at noon, April 30, on the campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Following the presentation, he will perform with a reunion of Tony Trischka & Skyline along with former bandmates Larry Cohen on bass, Danny Weiss on guitar, and Trischka on banjo. Kenny Kosek will join them on fiddle as will Joe Selly on guitar.

After completing that set, Barry will join Selly and Kosek for a workshop on the music of Tex Logan who passed away this time last year. That will be held on the festival’s Pinelands Stage. There is no admission charge to attend the New Jersey Folk Festival.

Barry noted the upcoming award with typical humility…

“I’m honored and excited about getting this Lifetime Achievement Award for playing and teaching bluegrass music in New Jersey over the last 47 years.”

Congratulations to a stalwart bluegrass warrior who isn’t finished yet!

Share this:

About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.