Della Mae

In 2013 Della Mae was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Bluegrass Album category for their album “This World Oft Can Be.” The group is an American Music Abroad alumni band that spent the fall of 2012 touring Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, receiving rave reviews from embassy staff and program audiences alike.

Formed during fall 2009 in Boston, Della Mae was born from a yearning for a traditional bluegrass sound in the heart of New England. Their all-female lineup is a who’s who of promising young pickers: lead singer Celia Woodsmith, guitarist Courtney Hartman, bass player, Shelby Means, mandolinist Jenni Lyn Gardner and two-time National Fiddle Champion Kimber Ludiker are all seasoned performers who have garnered many accolades and shared the stage with the likes of Willie Nelson, Del McCoury, Dr. John and Alison Krauss. Though they don’t shy away from showing off their considerable technical talent, Della Mae is at the heart, a song-driven band with vocals that can tell an entire story in the merest syllable, and instruments they play with finesse and vivacity to match. Della Mae proves again and again the endless possibilities found in the tried-and- true marriage of fiddle, fretboard, and voice. Della Mae has spent the last three years touring full time throughout both the United States and abroad. They have performed in more than thirty states at festivals, performing arts venues and clubs and teaching at workshops, schools and music camps.