A native of Hazard, Kentucky, Scott Napier picked up the mandolin as a teenager and has rarely set it down since. In addition to his nationally recognized mandolin work, he is also an accomplished bluegrass guitarist, known for a flat-picking style rooted in the traditions of Eastern Kentucky and influenced by legends like Doc Watson, Norman Blake, and Larry Sparks. Whether teaching, performing, or recording, Scott brings soulful authenticity to every instrument he plays.

Scott launched his professional career in 1996 as mandolinist for bluegrass legend Larry Sparks. Over the next decade with the Lonesome Ramblers, he toured internationally—including performances in Japan, at the Washington Monument for a 4th of July celebration, on A Prairie Home Companion, and on GAC TV’s Alison Krauss and Friends. He has earned a mandolin endorsement from Gibson and appeared multiple times on the Grand Ole Opry. Following his work with Sparks, Scott toured with Dale Ann Bradley and Grammy Award-winner Marty Raybon, and later joined The Lost and Found at the request of Allen Mills, helping to complete their 2009 album Love, Lost and Found.

Since 2014, Scott has taught at Hazard Community & Technical College’s Kentucky School of Bluegrass & Traditional Music (KSBTM), where he earned the rank of Associate Professor and completed his bachelor’s degree at Morehead State University. He worked closely with bluegrass icon Bobby Osborne and, in 2017, founded the Bobby Osborne Mandolin Roundup—an annual one-day camp for players of all ages, taught by Bobby, Scott, his wife Lauren Price Napier, and guest instructors. He has been nominated five times for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Mentor of the Year award.

Scott is also a published author, with contributions to Bluegrass Unlimited, Fretboard Journal, Bluegrass Today, and Mandolin Café. As of March 2023, he serves as Program Coordinator for OCTC Capital Bluegrass & Traditional Music at Owensboro Community & Technical College.