Biography
Rhiannon Giddens is a two-time Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning singer, instrumentalist, and composer who has built a singular career centered on reclaiming overlooked African American contributions to American folk and country music. Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, Giddens trained as an opera singer at Oberlin Conservatory of Music (B.M., 2000) before returning to North Carolina to immerse herself in traditional American roots music through study of archival recordings and mentorship from octogenarian fiddler Joe Thompson. She co-founded the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a Grammy Award-winning Black string band that introduced new audiences to the African American banjo and fiddle traditions that had been largely erased from popular musical narratives.
Giddens' solo work has expanded her artistic reach across multiple genres and mediums. Her album Tomorrow Is My Turn (2015) offers interpretations of songs written or made famous by women spanning folk, bluegrass, country, gospel, jazz, and Celtic traditions, while Freedom Highway (2017) consists mainly of original compositions exploring African American experiences from slavery to the present. She is a MacArthur "Genius" grant recipient and has composed operas, ballets, and film scores, including work on the soundtrack for Red Dead Redemption II. Beyond music, Giddens has hosted PBS's My Music with Rhiannon Giddens, appeared on ABC's Nashville, and served as a music history expert on Ken Burns' Country Music series.
As the current Artistic Director of the Silkroad Ensemble (founded by Yo-Yo Ma), Giddens continues her mission of lifting up people whose contributions to American musical history have been overlooked or erased. In 2024, she launched Biscuits & Banjos, a music festival in Durham, North Carolina celebrating Black culture outside the mainstream. Her work demonstrates how discrete musical approaches can inform one another, enriching contemporary music with sounds and textures from the past while advocating for a more accurate understanding of the country's musical origins.
Fun Facts
- Giddens wrote and performed music for the soundtrack of Red Dead Redemption II, one of the best-selling video games of all time.
- She appeared as a recurring cast member on ABC's hit drama Nashville and as a music history expert on Ken Burns' acclaimed Country Music series on PBS.
- Giddens hosted Aria Code, a podcast from New York City's NPR affiliate station WQXR, which ran for three seasons, and American Railroad from Silkroad.
- She has published two children's books in addition to her extensive musical and operatic work.
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Joe Thompson - Octogenarian fiddler who mentored Giddens in traditional American roots music after she returned to North Carolina (Traditional fiddle and roots music traditions) [Early 2000s onwards]
Key Collaborators
- Carolina Chocolate Drops - Co-founded Black string band with two other bandmates to share African American string band traditions with new generations (Genuine Negro Jig (2010), Leaving Eden (2012)) [2000s-2010s]
- Our Native Daughters - All-female banjo supergroup formed with three other Black female banjo players (Music from stories of historic Black womanhood and survival) [2010s onwards]
- Francesco Turrisi - Multi-instrumentalist collaborator on multiple projects (They're Calling Me Home (2020, Grammy winner for best folk album)) [2010s-2020s]
- Silkroad Ensemble - Global music ensemble founded by Yo-Yo Ma; Giddens serves as Artistic Director (Various Silkroad projects and collaborations) [2020 onwards]
Connection Network
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
Rhiannon Giddens, Resistance Revival Chorus & Crys Matthews has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.