Rhiannon Giddens
Silkroad has announced that American singer and multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens, 45, has been appointed the next Artistic Director of Silkroad.
Golnar Khosrowshahi, Chair of the Silkroad Board of Directors, said: “On behalf of the Silkroad Board of Directors, we are thrilled to officially welcome Rhiannon Giddens to the Silkroad family. As we look into the future, we feel certain to have found the ideal visionary to enhance Yo-Yo Ma’s indelible legacy and lead us to new heights. We greatly admire Rhiannon’s innovative spirit and look forward to seeing how she mines American and global traditions to effect an artistic impact that is relevant to our times.”
Silkroad founder and acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma expressed his utmost confidence in the leadership transition and excitement for Giddens to make her mark on the organization’s future, while advancing the groundbreaking musical idiom for which Silkroad is known internationally.
“Rhiannon is an extraordinary human being and musician. She lives Silkroad’s values, at once rooted in history and its many musics, and is an advocate for the contemporary voices that can move us to work together for a better world. I look forward to joining Rhiannon and our Silkroad colleagues as we continue this journey together,” affirmed Ma.
Following Yo-Yo Ma’s stewardship of Silkroad from 2000-2017, Nicholas Cords, Jeffrey Beecher, and Shane Shanahan – all long-standing Silkroad artists – led the organization in a co-artistic direction model from 2017-2020 (Beecher from 2017-2019). All three will continue to serve Silkroad as artists and project leaders going forward.
