Rhiannon Giddens / Lido Pimienta / SLOWSPIN

Throughout her career, Rhiannon Giddens has explored folk music, immersing herself in tradition while writing songs that resonate in the modern world. A two-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer and multi-instrumentalist, MacArthur “Genius” grant recipient, and composer of opera, ballet, and film, Giddens has centered her work around the mission of lifting up people whose contributions to American musical history have previously been overlooked or erased, and advocating for a more accurate understanding of the country’s musical origins through art. A founding member of the landmark Black string band Carolina Chocolate Drops, and the all-female banjo supergroup, Our Native Daughters, Giddens is also the current Artistic Director of the Yo-Yo Ma-founded Silkroad Ensemble, hosts a TV show on PBS, My Music with Rhiannon Giddens, and hosted the popular opera podcast Aria Code. Giddens has performed music for the soundtrack of Red Dead Redemption II, one of the best-selling video games of all time, and appeared as a recurring cast member on ABC’s hit drama Nashville and as a music history expert on Ken Burns’ Country Music series on PBS. Omar, the opera she co-wrote with Michael Abels, won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Colombian-Canadian artist Lido Pimienta, winner of the Polaris Prize for her 2016 album La Papessa, will also hit the stage with her cumbia, synth-pop, and traditional indigenous-influenced music. Opening the evening is Slowspin, a project from New-York based Pakistani artist Zeerak Ahmed. Rooted in the tradition of Hinustaani classical, dream folk, ambient, and experimental-electronic music, the NYC based quartet includes:Ahmed, TALISMAN’s co-producer Grey Mcmurray (Tongues in Trees trio, Beth Orthon, Ali Sethi), Marlon Patton (Lonnie Holley, The Mace Hibbard Quintet) and GRAMMY nominated multi-instrumentalist, Shahzad Ismaily (Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, Love in Exile).