The banjo and bluegrass community pays tribute to a central, connective figure.
By: Dan Gabel
January 3, 2026
The banjo and bluegrass music community lost a central, connective figure last week when Gabe Hirshfeld passed away after a series of health issues, including a kidney transplant in early 2025. Though he was just 36 years old, he left an indelible mark on the wide network of musicians in the bluegrass, old-time, and related worlds, as evidenced by the outpouring of love and remembrances in the wake of his passing. His beautiful playing with The Lonely Heartstring Band and others, his extensive teaching, and his prowess with the technicalities of banjo maintenance and setup were all avenues to experiencing Gabe. But the qualities most often cited by those who love Gabe are his kindness, inclusivity, wit, generosity, and forbearance in the face of challenges. I met Gabe a few times and certainly experienced some of those qualities, and my heart goes out to all who knew him well.
Peghead Nation banjo instructor Bill Evans posted a tribute that touches on some of what it was like to be in Gabe’s orbit:
“I remember the phone conversation that Gabe and I had a few years ago, where he told me that he was leaving his full-time music career and starting on a degree in counseling, hoping to especially help troubled youth. I was so excited to hear this news and told him that he would no doubt become one of the world’s best counselors, just as he had worked so hard to become one of the world’s best five-string banjo players. And sure enough, two years later, he had my side aching from a few of his outrageous stories about his clients (never violating HIPPA privacy rules, by the way).
Gabe Hirshfeld with Bill Evans, BB Bowness, Rich Stillman
When I first met Gabe, probably around 2005, he was a quiet teenager who was often in the company of his father at Banjo Camp North. With each year, he became a dramatically better player and it was gratifying to see Massachusetts-based players such as Rich Stillman and Mike Kropp provide such great support to Gabe. As he became part of the northern banjo community, I’d like to believe that he also found himself in the process. And he learned very early on the importance of community.And – as a slight detour – there was a hilarious moment in our friendship when he was playing with the Lonely Heartstrings Band at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, CA. Gabe had borrowed my old banjo for the night and, man, it sounded incredible in his hands. This banjo has one of those mute-activated armrests and about 2/3’s of the way through the first set, the locknut screw, which never tightened properly, fell out and the entire armrest mechanism crashed to the stage, with springs, screws and armrest going in different directions. Gabe was petrified. I acted upset for a moment or two backstage during the break, but I couldn’t hold my laughter back for very long and soon we were laughing so hard that tears were flowing and we were hugging.
I currently have a maple neck on this banjo that I recently traded Gabe for just a few months ago. He thought it was the best sounding maple neck he had ever heard and I have to agree. And I have a drawer full of bridges and picks he had given to me. When I last saw him in person at Joe Val early this year, he spent the afternoon adjusting the co-rods on my old banjo and we had a great deal of fun journeying into a sonic wonderland that only a very few humans can appreciate.
Gabe and I had many serious conversations over our many years of friendship but I never asked him where he found the emotional and spiritual reserve to be such a great support to others. I regret not having this conversation.
In my own experience, it’s how we use the setbacks and losses that occur in our lives that determine who we are. It’s how we play the hand we are dealt.
Gabe no doubt experienced much sorrow in his life, including the passing of his mentors Mike Kropp and Phil Zimmerman. I’d like to believe that through this pain, he became an old soul at an early age. And he used his power for good – outrageous good. In a way that few of us ever encounter or achieve.
If there’s some kind of afterlife that accepts everyone – or maybe a bar that you can stop in on the way to wherever your next destination might be – I think that Gabe might be hanging out right now at a table with a crazy assortment of characters – from Rodney Dangerfield to Snuffy Smith to Bill Keith – and he’d be entertaining them all.
We’ll long remember and love you, Gabe. – Bill Evans”
“The entire bluegrass community is mourning the tragic loss of Gabe Hirshfeld. At the Boston Bluegrass Union, this loss feels especially personal since we quite literally watched Gabe grow up before our eyes.
Gabe Hirshfeld
Gabe was more than a gifted musician and a celebrated member of our community. He was a bright presence whose warmth, generosity, and spirit touched countless lives. Whether through music, conversation, laughter, or quiet kindness, Gabe had an extraordinary way of making people feel seen and welcome. His love for bluegrass and his genuine care for others embodied the very best of what this community represents. The loss of Gabe has left an immeasurable void.
In honor of Gabe’s life and legacy the Boston Bluegrass Union, in partnership with the Hirshfeld family, has established The Gabe Hirshfeld Memorial Fund as a way to celebrate Gabe’s life and ensure that his passion for music, community, and generosity continues to ripple outward. Through this fund, Gabe’s legacy will live on by supporting efforts that reflect the values he held so dearly.
The mission of The Gabe Hirshfeld Memorial Fund is to support the musical education and development of young banjo players while preserving and advancing the community that defined Gabe Hirshfeld’s life and work.
Peghead Nation banjo instructor receives the prestigious award recognizing masters of the banjo for their contributions to the instrument and the community.
