Join Us to Hear Helen Cudahy Niblack ’42 Visiting Artist Bess Putnam

Admission is free to the presentation, but space is limited, so please RSVP.

Putnam is a performing artist and music educator raised in the hills of Virginia, where her early life was shaped by a deep connection to both landscape and song. The daughter of two musicians, she was immersed in music from an early age and does not recall a time without it. Her parents instilled a lasting appreciation for both craft and creativity. For Putnam, music has always been both a luxury and a necessity, a steady thread woven through her life and work.

Guided by the belief that “a songbird does not sing because she has an answer, but because she has a song,” Putnam creates not in pursuit of recognition, but out of a deep-rooted calling. She considers her lifelong connection to music to be a legacy in itself. 

As the Blue Mountain Songbird, she tells stories with her music while weaving in historical narratives and an appreciation for the region’s storied heritage. Themed performances at her concerts have included a 300-year history of agriculture, a Patsy Cline tribute, “Christmas in Camp” highlighting Civil War stories, and presentations for the Civil War convention in Middleburg. She released her newest album, “Dark Hollow,” in 2025. 

Beyond her music, Putnam has taught music at Wakefield School and as a Sunday school teacher. She has served on the board of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Association and as an advisory board member for the scholarship committee of the Middleburg Library Board. Through her music and her efforts in the community, Putnam demonstrates dedication to the arts, conversation on the region’s heritage, and pursuing one’s passions.