Rhiannon Giddens

March 14, 2024 | 7:30 PM

Rhiannon Giddens has made an iconic career out of stretching her brand of folk music, with its miles-deep historical roots and contemporary sensibilities, into nearly every field imaginable. A two-time Grammy Award-winning singer and instrumentalist, MacArthur “Genius” grant recipient, and Pulitzer Prize-winning opera composer, Giddens works to lift up people whose contributions to American musical history have previously been overlooked or erased, 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.” Giddens will perform selections from her first album of entirely original songs, “You’re the One,” alongside other work from her expansive repertoire. The Prior Performing Arts Center hosts Giddens after presenting a sneak peek of her and Michael Abels’ opera “Omar” in spring 2023.

Giddens will be supported on this tour by Charly Lowry, a musical powerhouse from Pembroke, NC. Lowry is proud to be an Indigenous woman belonging to the Lumbee/Tuscarora Tribes and a professional singer-songwriter (acoustic/electric guitar and Native American hand drum) who is known for her strong, passionate voice and versatility.  A semifinalist on American Idol, Lowry has toured extensively and internationally as lead singer and recording artist of the multi-award-winning band Dark Water Rising, and collaborated with numerous artists, bands, networks, productions, and organizations. Among her community, Native women are traditionally barred from the hand-drum, singing behind the men’s drum and/or dancing instead. Lowry defies that norm, following in the footsteps of her mentor Pura Fé and choosing to battle with her songs, storytelling, hand drum, and guitar to deliver performances that not only tell the plight of her people but all humankind that face oppression.

The Prior Performing Arts Center

Explore More