Rhiannon Giddens is a singer, instrumentalist, composer, and writer whose work reclaims and reinterprets the musical traditions of the African American South. A classically trained vocalist and a founding member of the Grammy Award–winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, she is known for her mastery of the banjo and her research-driven approach to American folk music. Giddens’s projects often illuminate the overlooked histories of Black musicians and the cultural hybridity of early American music.

In addition to her work as a performer, Giddens has composed for opera, ballet, and film. Her opera Omar, cowritten with Michael Abels, premiered at the Spoleto Festival USA in 2022 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2023. She has released numerous solo albums and collaborative recordings, blending traditional roots music with contemporary themes. Giddens is also a MacArthur Fellow and the artistic director of Silkroad, the musical collective founded by Yo-Yo Ma.