John Hildreth is based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and is known for his vibrant and prolific songwriting, dynamic guitar playing, unique low voice and instrumental prowess. He can be seen throughout the region as a soloist as well as with Talk2Me, Hildreth-Mills and Taco Cat. He has performed with, opened for, produced and collaborated with renown artists including Rhiannon Giddens, Kat Mills, Man Made Random, Shana Tucker, Rachel Baiman, Larry Unger and Scott Perry. He has appeared at music festivals over the years including FloydFest, Appalachian Trail Days, Clevetoberfest, Summer Solstice Festival and Jonesborough Days.

As a child, John studied piano and organ at the Kleemeier School of Music in Cincinnati, OH. He began playing rock, classical and jazz guitar with instructors Mark Schulte and Martin Lockhart. John later earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music (composition and guitar) from Western Kentucky University, studying guitar with David Kelsey and Sharon Law, and composition/theory with Drs. Charles Smith and Michael Kallstrom. John earned a Master of Arts in Music (technology and education) from Radford University, studying guitar with Dr. Robert Trent, musicology with Dr. George Parish, and composition with Dr. Bruce Mahin.

His compositions and arrangements have been performed in the U.S., Canada and Europe, and he’s had master classes with Lily Afshar, Nikita Koshkin, Karel Husa, Jean Berger, Mark Applebaum, Jamey Abersold and Stanley Yates. After spending the mid-late 1990s in Nashville, TN, he was a founding member of the powerhouse dance band Dot Dot Dash (2002-2013) in southwest VA, touring and releasing two albums with them. He has since produced several solo albums as well as session work and commissions for a variety of clients including Lynda.com, Horse Archer Productions, The Continental Divide Trail Coalition, CITL Films, Danah Bella Danceworks, Jones Film Group and RJB Production.