Interview: Mason Winfree Comes Full Circle at the 90th Annual Old Fiddlers’ Convention (photo by Shana Leigh)
Some songs have a way of staying with you. For old-time musician Mason Winfree, one of the first songs he learned to play as a teenager on the autoharp, a string instrument commonly found in old-time and country music, became the centerpiece of a remarkable 30th birthday.
Winfree grew up playing the autoharp, an instrument that connected him not only to the old-time music tradition but also to his family. He was partially inspired by his grandfather, Bobby Moore of Wilkes County, North Carolina, who also played the autoharp. When Moore died, the autoharp was the only one of his instruments that Winfree inherited – a keepsake that carries with it a piece of his family’s musical history.
“My grandfather’s love of this music continues to inspire me, and I think it’s woven through me in a lot of ways,” said Winfree. “From such a young age, I felt called to this music. And knowing that it was such a big part of his life, and hearing stories about him, I continue to see that familial thread that weaves through both of us.”
After traveling from his home state in the foothills of North Carolina to the Old Fiddlers’ Convention in Galax, Virginia, Winfree returned home with a first-place blue ribbon in the autoharp competition for his instrumental rendition of “Bury Me Beneath the Willow” – the same song that helped begin his musical journey years earlier.
“The first two songs I ever learned to play on the autoharp were ‘Wildwood Flower’ and ‘Bury Me Beneath the Willow,’” said Winfree. “Of course, ‘Bury Me’ was the first song recorded by the Carter Family, nearly 100 years ago the first week of August. So, I thought it would be fitting to play that one at the convention as a way to honor them.”
The Original Carter Family of Southwest Virginia made their first recording of the song on August 1, 1927, with Sara Carter playing autoharp. Nearly 99 years later, on August 6, 2026, Winfree stood on the stage at the 90th anniversary of the Old Fiddlers’ Convention and played the same song. Two days later, on August 8 – his 30th birthday – he brought home the first-place blue ribbon during the awards ceremony that rounded out the weeklong convention.
The name Old Fiddlers’ Convention is fitting, as the event is one of the oldest and largest of its kind. Founded in 1935 by Moose Lodge #733 in Galax, Virginia, the convention was originally held to raise funds for the lodge. Because it is held during the first full week of August each year, the convention typically falls around Winfree’s birthday.
“I’ve celebrated my birthday at the Old Fiddlers’ Convention for years now. But this year, it lined up perfectly with the last day of the convention, which I don’t think has happened in more than 10 years because we missed the 2020 convention due to COVID.”
According to the Old Fiddlers’ Convention program, more than 30 people signed up to participate in the autoharp competition. The convention recognizes the top 10 competitors with ribbons and prize money.
“Knowing the folks who participate in these competitions and just how out-of-this-world talented they are, it kind of blew my mind when they called my name as the winner,” said Winfree. “When I first started participating in these competitions, I just wanted to do my best and hopefully place. Even if I came in 10th, I felt like that would be quite the accomplishment, knowing the talent I was standing alongside. So, to come in first at that particular moment, entering a new decade of my life, is a moment I will genuinely treasure forever.”
Winfree has played autoharp on a number of recordings for other artists and most recently contributed to Jamie Collins’ new album, Beautiful Dreams, which is scheduled for release later this month. He also collaborated with Ryan Navey on an autoharp and fiddle piece for the film project Fair As Linen, a Civil War-era film currently in post-production.
“I just hope to carry this music forward and to spotlight this instrument that has truly changed my life in so many ways,” said Winfree. “It’s introduced me to so many people and has taken me around the world. It really feels fitting to enter this new chapter of my life with it because it has been such a fixture for so long. Every time I play it, it feels like coming home.”
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: Video Premiere: Jamie Collins “Where I Want To Be”