Growing up in a musical family, Brad was exposed to Folk and Roots music from birth. His father Ken Kolodner is a renowned hammered dulcimer player and fiddler who toured for many years in the folk trio Helicon. When Brad picked up the banjo at age 17, everything started to click into place. Since then, he’s charted a path centered on performing, recording, broadcasting and community organizing. He’s an acclaimed clawhammer banjo player who performs with the chart-topping Irish, Old-Time, Bluegrass fusion quartet Charm City Junction. He’s recorded four albums of Old-Time and original music with his father Ken under the name Ken & Brad Kolodner including their latest Billboard-charting release Stony Run (2020). He's performed across the country on some of the biggest stages for Folk and Roots music including the Kennedy Center, Strathmore, American Folk Festival, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Charm City Bluegrass Festival and Old Songs Folk Festival. His debut solo album Chimney Swifts released in the fall of 2021.
While in college, Brad developed a passion for radio broadcasting. He hosts two weekly radio programs on Bluegrass Country Radio (WAMU-DC) and Radio Bristol (WBCM-TN/VA) featuring the latest releases in Progressive Bluegrass, Americana and Old-Time music. In early 2021, Brad signed on as a daily host for the acclaimed online radio station Folk Alley. He was nominated for the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Broadcaster of the Year Award in 2019, 2020 and 2021. He currently serves on the IBMA Board of Directors.
Brad is a major driver behind the bustling Old-Time and Bluegrass scene in his hometown of Baltimore. He co-founded the bi-weekly Baltimore Old Time Jam; monthly Baltimore Square Dance and the annual Baltimore Old-Time Music Festival held at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. When he’s not playing banjo, on the air or organizing community events, you can find Brad rock climbing, playing squash, hiking or tending to his vegetable garden in the backyard of his Baltimore rowhouse.
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