Riley Calcagno (The Onlies)

Riley Calcagno is a fiddle, banjo, and guitar player, originally from Seattle, Washington. He grew up going to fiddle festivals and camps on the west coast, where he soaked up old-time music as he ran amongst jams and learned from older masters of the style. At age 7, he co-founded The Onlies, a stringband that is somehow still playing and performing together. In 2018, the band released a collaborative record with mentors and friends John Herrmann and Meredith McIntosh as the band The Ruglifters. Riley also plays in the duo Viv & Riley with guitar player and singer Vivian Leva. They have released albums of original songs on Free Dirt Records in 2021 and 2023 that were featured by NPR, Rolling Stone, and No Depression. Riley is an experienced teacher and has a passion and patience for passing along tradition and technique. Along with the members of The Onlies, he is a co-artistic director of The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. He currently resides in Durham, North Carolina.