“It’s a two-hour series of musical selections, each one more surprising and beautiful than the one before, in which you can hear divisions of genre and style wash away in real time like the ramparts of a crumbling sandcastle.”—San Francisco Chronicle
Passengers on a train don’t often think of the tracks. But the critically acclaimed Silkroad Ensemble has explored the multicultural history of the Transcontinental Railroad and its construction. Sunday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m. at Hodgson Concert Hall, the ensemble, led by artistic director Rhiannon Giddens, presents American Railroad, a musical portrait of the varied people who laid the rails.
ABOUT SILKROAD’S AMERICAN RAILROAD INITIATIVE
After completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, a trip from coast to coast that used to take months was shortened to just under a week, allowing for the transport of goods and ideas across the continent. Profit-seeking corporations and the American government financed it, but the people who actually built it — Indigenous and African Americans as well as Irish, Chinese, Japanese, and other immigrant laborers — are the focus of Silkroad’s American Railroad.
The ambitious project highlights untold stories and amplifies unheard voices from these communities, addressing past injustices and providing a more truthful account of global diasporic contributions to the creation of the American Empire. This in-depth exploration began in 2020 with artist retreats and site visits throughout the nation, as well as the creation of new compositions and a broad range of educational resources and community-building activities.
ABOUT SILKROAD
Yo-Yo Ma conceived Silkroad in 1998, recognizing the historical Silk Road as a model for cultural collaboration — for the exchange of ideas, tradition, and innovation across borders. In a groundbreaking experiment, he brought together musicians from the lands of the Silk Road to co-create a musical language founded in difference, thus creating the foundation of Silkroad: both a touring ensemble comprised of world-class musicians from all over the globe and a Boston-based non-profit organization working to make a positive impact across borders through the arts.
Today, under the leadership of Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens and Executive Director Ben Hartley, Silkroad leads social impact initiatives and educational programming alongside the creation of new music by the Grammy Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble.
ABOUT RHIANNON GIDDENS
Rhiannon Giddens has made a singular, iconic career out of stretching her brand of folk music, with its miles-deep historical roots and contemporary sensibilities, into just about every field imaginable. A two-time Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize winner, MacArthur “Genius” grant recipient, singer, and instrumentalist, 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.
As Pitchfork once said, “few artists are so fearless and so ravenous in their exploration” — a journey that has led to NPR naming her one of its 25 Most Influential Women Musicians of the 21st Century and to American Songwriter calling her “one of the most important musical minds currently walking the planet.”
PERFORMANCE TALK
Join us for a free pre-performance talk by Alicia Reese, Silkroad’s Director of Strategic Partnerships & Impact, in Ramsey Concert Hall from 6:15-6:45 pm.
SUPPORTED BY
Catherine B. Kleiner
BUYING TICKETS IS EASY
Securing tickets for UGA Presents performances couldn’t be easier. There are three ways to choose from:
- Purchase tickets online 24/7 here.
- Call the Performing Arts Center Box Office at (706) 542-4400, Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Visit the UGA Performing Arts Center Box Office, Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (5 minute parking is available in the drop off circle at the Performing Arts Center for purchasing or picking up tickets.)
You may also create your own series of three or more performances (10% off). UGA Presents single tickets start at just $25 and UGA student tickets are $10. Parking is free.