Speaking, Hosting & Education
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 many keynote speeches, lectured at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and many more institutions of higher learning, and hosted numerous podcasts and limited series.
For more information and to book Rhiannon Giddens as a speaker, please contact Outer/most.
Keynote Speeches & Lectures
Click to read: Big Ears | UK Americana Awards | IBMA
HostING
My Music with Rhiannon Giddens
A half-hour series on PBS of musical performances and conversations with outstanding guest artists hand-picked by Rhiannon Giddens and filmed on location.
The Banjo: Music, History and Heritage
Explore the sonic breadth of the banjo, and delve into its fascinating, largely unknown history in this 10-episode series that takes you across time and cultures.
Black Roots (BBC)
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.
American Railroad
American Railroad is a five-episode podcast that seeks to right historical wrongs by highlighting the untold stories and unheard voices from the diverse communities that built America’s railway systems. Each episode weaves together music, storytelling, and historical analysis.
Government Song Woman (BBC)
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.
To Balance on Bridges
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: The Evening Show with Terrance McKnight (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.
Rhiannon has also hosted BBC Radio 2’s The Blues Show, and appeared on NPR Fresh Air, New Yorker Radio Hour, Sodajerker, Following Harriet, Dolly Parton’s America, WNYC Radiolab, Murder Ballads, and more.