Mandolin Virtuoso Sierra Hull Joins Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour

Mandolin artist Sierra Hull will perform today at the Viva El Gonzo Festival in San José del Cabo, Mexico, and then join Willie Nelson's Outlaw Music Festival tour. She will play multiple dates with musical guests like Bob Dylan and Billy Strings, including a performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on May 16.

Hull still delights audiences with her new twist on bluegrass, encompassing progressive acoustic music. On May 6, Hull was featured on PBS NewsHour, indicating her transition from a discovered talent as a child in Byrdstown, Tennessee, to one of the front people in the genre. Hull began her musical path at local bluegrass jams in her small hometown with a population of under 1,000.

Her path changed when she met Chris Thile at MerleFest in 2002. “I look up and Chris Thile is in front of me and says, ‘Holy cow, want to play it together?'” Hull remembers. “We went and found a corner somewhere and he jammed with me for an hour and a half, and he took me backstage to meet my hero.” At just 12 years old, she received a significant career milestone when Alison Krauss invited her to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. Hull then attended Berklee College of Music, where she developed her style while continuing to keep her bluegrass roots.

Hull's latest album, A Tip Toe High Wire, released March 7, is her first independent release. It notes her continued innovative and contemporary take on bluegrass. The album features parts with artists like Tim O'Brien, Aoife O'Donovan, Béla Fleck, and others, and has received positive acclaim from very different audiences. Hull commemorated the album's release with a concert at the Brooklyn Bowl Nashville with her husband, Justin Moses, and other great artists.

Her upcoming tour generates a lot of excitement as she heads out in May and visits multiple sites in the U.S. until October 2025, including the Hollywood Bowl, and festivals such as the IBMA Bluegrass Live.

Hull's commitment to her art and use of traditional and contemporary musical ideas continue to catapult Hull into the ranks of bluegrass music's leading artists.