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Rhiannon Giddens relaunches the Silkroad Ensemble

Courtesy of the artist

A couple of years ago, musician and vocalist Rhiannon Giddens replaced famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma as the artistic director of the Silkroad Ensemble, a shifting collective made up of dozens of musicians from around the world focused on playing music as eclectic as its membership.

"We all speak different languages ... [and] even if we both speak English, we speak a different cultural language, right? So you're always constantly trying to find, 'What is the common ground between you and me?' Silkroad is doing that [with] music."

Giddens spoke to Morning Edition's Rachel Martin about her work with the collective and the post-pandemic relaunch they're undertaking with the new program Phoenix Rising.


To hear the full conversation, use the audio player at the top of the page.

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