A Macarthur “Genius” Grant winner, Rhiannon Giddens speaks regularly about American musical history, equality and equity in the arts, race relations in America, climate change and much more.
She has delivered a number of keynote speeches, lectured at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and many more institutions of higher learning, and honored Senator John Lewis at the American Bar Association’s Thurgood Marshall Awards.
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For more information and to book Rhiannon Giddens as a speaker, please contact Chris Colbourn
Keynote Speeches & LecTures
CLick to read: TED Talk | Big Ears | UK Americana Awards | IBMA
Podcast Host
Black Roots
Rhiannon explores the history of African American roots music through the stories of forgotten black pioneers in Black Roots, a 3-part series on BBC4.
String bands, hoedowns, square dances, old-time fiddle and banjo styles, these sounds were dominant in Black roots music from the 17th century onwards.
Government Song Woman
Rhiannon hosted a documentary on folk song collector Sidney Robertson Cowell for BBC Radio 3! Traveling thousands of miles all over the US in the depression era (and even the Aran Islands in Ireland), Cowell was willing to track down songs in unlikely places, once writing "I don't scare easily."
Aria Code
Rhiannon is the host of Aria Code, a podcast about opera from WQXR and the Met Opera, episodes of which have been downloaded over one million times.
Aria Code was named among the best podcasts of 2019 by Cosmopolitan and Stereogum, and the best podcasts of 2020 by Indie Wire.
Audible Audiobook
Blending songs and stories from shared and personal histories, To Balance on Bridges finds Rhiannon in continued pursuit of truth in all its raw and underexposed forms. Listen as Rhiannon leads us through a multitude of musical styles, lyrical patterns, and instrumentation confronting questions on race, culture, appropriation, and class with searing precision.
Musical Routes
A six-episode show on Apple Music Country illustrating the many intersections between country/roots music and global music traditions, including Celtic music, Caribbean music, Indigenous music, and more. Listeners will discover new artists, broaden their own musical knowledge, and enjoy unscripted, far-reaching conversations from two of music’s most encyclopedic minds.
Guest Host: WQXR
During her guest host hour for WQXR, Rhiannon highlights the music of Black composers ranging from the 1700s to today, and from the worlds of jazz, musical theater, and classical music.
Other Appearances
Rhiannon has hosted episodes of The Evening Show with Terrance McKnight (WQXR), BBC Radio 2’s The Blues Show, and more.
Rhiannon has also appeared on: