Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn

On Sunday, October 18, 2026, Strathmore’s Mansion will host two performances by Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn, a duo that brings together the Chinese guzheng and the American banjo. Their program merges Appalachian old-time music with Chinese folk songs, drawing on traditional material from the hills of Appalachia to the prairies of Xinjiang. The two musicians intertwine English and Chinese dialects, creating what the venue describes as gorgeous, impressionistic renditions that recast “world music” as music of a shared world.

Wu Fei is a guzheng master and multilingual, classically trained composer who began as a child prodigy and eventually came to the United States to study free improvisation. Her move to Boulder, Colorado introduced her to bluegrass and to Abigail Washburn. Washburn is a Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and clawhammer banjo player who has toured China for twenty years. Her career includes the woman-powered string band Uncle Earl and a duo with her husband Béla Fleck, whose self-titled debut won the 2016 Grammy for Best Folk Album. Together, Wu Fei and Washburn highlight the universal humanity and transformative power of song.

When: Sunday, October 18, 2026, with performances at 4pm and 7pm.

Venue: The Mansion at Strathmore.

Tickets: General admission, $48. Strathmore’s ticket exchange policy is generous, and refunds are available if a show is cancelled or postponed.

Lineup: Wu Fei on guzheng and vocals, and Abigail Washburn on banjo and vocals.

Genre: Folk, bluegrass, and country.

Description: The duo combines Wu Fei’s guzheng with Washburn’s expressive banjo, drawing on American old-time music and Chinese folk traditions from Appalachia to Xinjiang. Their performances interweave English and Chinese vocal styles, and the pair celebrates the connections between seemingly distant musical worlds.

Seating: Seating is general admission and first come, first served.

Parking: Parking for Mansion events is free in the Mansion lot on a space-available basis.

Food & Drink: Dining is not currently available at Mansion performances. A complimentary glass of wine is offered before the show for guests 21 years or older.

Ages: Age restrictions are not stated, but the complimentary pre-show wine is limited to those 21 and older.