Silkroad Presents TRAIN STATION TRIOS: Songs & Stories Of The American Railroad
The concert is on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 2 p.m. PST.

Silkroad has announced a new series of concerts, Train Station Trios: Songs & Stories of the American Railroad, that is tied to its multi-year initiative led by Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens. In the series, local scholars and Silkroad artists will gather to shed light on hidden chronicles and powerful stories through new music and storytelling, painting a richer and more accurate picture of the origins of the American Empire.
The first Train Station Trios concert will be held on Saturday, February 11 at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California. Upcoming performances are slated to take place in April and June at venues in New York and North Carolina respectively; details will be announced at a later date.
"From the beginning, an integral aspect of American Railroad has been to uncover the unseen and untold. Over the past two years, my Silkroad colleagues and I have been researching and studying, listening and learning, so that we can tell a more complete and truthful version of American history through our music. We invite audiences in California, New York, and North Carolina to join us in this process as we present the Train Station Trios concerts," said Giddens.
First made public in 2020, American Railroad is a wide-ranging initiative envisioned and conceived by Giddens to illuminate the impact of African American, Indigenous, Chinese, Irish, and other immigrant communities on the creation of the U.S. Transcontinental Railroad and connecting railways in North America. These and other populations played a fundamental role in one of the most important technological and economic achievements of the 19th century, yet their contributions have been mostly erased from history. Giddens and Silkroad are fulfilling their vision for this initiative through new commissions and performances, residencies, curriculum development and educational activities, and a host of artistic projects spanning from 2021-2026.
In Train Station Trios, members of the Grammy Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble will contextualize-or rather, re-contextualize-the North American railroads through music. Trios formed by Silkroad artists will collaborate with local scholars to offer an hour-long performance that features: new music inspired by the history of the railroads, songs and tunes collected from railroad workers and the impacted communities, and storytelling with an emphasis on histories and cultural ties to the area where each concert is being held. The original and unearthed music will serve as the basis for future national tours as part of the American Railroad initiative.
For more information about American Railroad, please visit silkroad.org/american-railroad.
Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 2 p.m. PST
California State Railroad Museum (125 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814)
Tickets: Free with admission to the Museum
Artists: Mario Gotoh, violin/viola; Edward Pérez, bass; Shane Shanahan, percussion
Scholar: Anna Eng, Lecturer Faculty at San Francisco State University and University of California, Berkeley
More Hot Stories For You

March 21, 2023
The Westfield Athenaeum and MOSSO (Musicians of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra) will present the third of a three-concert chamber music series, with Harmonia V performing on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 7:00PM.

March 18, 2023
The score for the new film, Art Thief, is being recorded in the newly upgraded studio at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod, with the next session on Thursday March 23.

March 18, 2023
Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. And if their new routine is good enough, they'll claw their way to the top at Nationals in Tampa Bay. A play about ambition, growing up, and yearning to embrace our bodies and our souls.

March 18, 2023
Cape Rep Theatre will open its 2023 season with the world premiere of, Archibald Avery, a newly commissioned musical by local artists Paddo Devine, Seamus Devine and Macklin Devine, directed by Maura Hanlon.

March 17, 2023
Sister Act with Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Glenn Slater, Book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner, and Additional Materials by Douglas Carter Beane will be Directed by Leigh Barrett with Musical Direction by David F. Coleman and Choreography by Dan Sullivan will raise the roof and lift spirits this spring at Lyric Stage Boston made in part possible by our Corporate Sponsor for the production, Brookline Bank.