Tony Trischka (born 16 January 1949 in Syracuse, New York) is an American five-string banjo player. In December 2012, Trischka was awarded the United States Artists Friends Fellow in recognition of the excellence of his work The avant-garde banjo stylings of Trischka inspired a whole generation of progressive bluegrass musicians; he was not only considered among the very best pickers, he was also one of the instrument's top teachers, and created numerous instructional books, teaching video tapes and cassettes.