Billy Strings To Deliver Keynote At IBMA Business Conference

Nashville-based GRAMMY winner Billy Strings—one of the most celebrated and transformative musicians across any genre—has been announced as the keynote speaker for the upcoming IBMA Business Conference, presented by Riverview Foundation. The event takes place in Chattanooga, TN on Tuesday, September 16, marking what promises to be one of the most talked-about moments of this year’s International Bluegrass Music Association gathering.

The keynote, “Billy Strings in Conversation with Tom Power,” is sponsored by The Bluegrass Situation and Turnberry Records. Presented as a live interview at the Chattanooga Convention Center, the session will feature Strings in discussion with acclaimed radio and podcast host Tom Power. The program kicks off at 4 p.m. ET, preceded by a special performance from Turnberry recording artist and IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards winner Junior Sisk.

Though born in Michigan, Strings has firmly planted his roots in Nashville, where his explosive live shows have sold out iconic venues like the Ryman Auditorium and bridged generations of fans. His influence runs deep in Music City’s bluegrass community, where he’s built a reputation as a fearless innovator—seamlessly honoring tradition while propelling the genre into arenas and festival headlining slots worldwide.

Tom Power reflected on Strings’ remarkable rise: “Through my work on [the podcast] Toy Heart, I’ve had the chance to talk with some of the legends of bluegrass. Long before the arena shows and awards, they were already calling him a transformational figure. I’m grateful for the chance to talk with Billy now, not at the end of a road but right in the thick of it—to ask about his relationship to bluegrass today, how he moves within it, and what he may have found in this music that’s opened it up to so many in a way we haven’t seen since the earliest days of Bill Monroe.”

IBMA Executive Director Ken White added, “We couldn’t be prouder to present such an influential artist at this year’s conference. Billy Strings represents the present and future of bluegrass by embracing—and building on—our past. We recommend that conference attendees circle this keynote address on their schedule for Sept. 16; we’re predicting standing room only for this session!”

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