Silkroad’s new face: Grammy-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens

Rhiannon Giddens of Our Native Daughters performs at the 2019 Newport Folk Festival. Photo by Doug MacGunnigle, WPRO

The Associated Press 

Silkroad, the acclaimed international musical collective with a social conscience, has a new face — and a fresh sense of purpose.

Silkroad announced Tuesday that Grammy-winning folk singer and instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens is its new artistic director.

Giddens takes the baton from renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who founded the group two decades ago.

The 43-year-old North Carolina native is the first woman and first multiracial artist to lead Silkroad.

The Boston-based organization is known not just for its touring ensemble comprised of world-class musicians from all over the globe, but also for its efforts to use the arts to bridge differences across races, countries and cultures.

 

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