Rhiannon Giddens Appointed Inaugural U-M Artist-in-Residence

Rhiannon Giddens, the Grammy-, Pulitzer Prize- and MacArthur "genius" grant-winning musical artist and composer, has been appointed as the inaugural University of Michigan Artist-in-Residence.

The residency, launched by the U-M Arts Initiative, seeks to harness the transformative power of the arts to impact the world by inviting innovative artists to campus.

Giddens, an eclectic, multi-genre folk musician, might be known to fans for many different bodies of work. She is a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, the co-composer of the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera "Omar" and the banjo soloist in the opening licks of Beyonce's 2024 hit "Texas Hold 'Em." 

But across all of her work, she is keenly focused on the contributions of Black Americans, and others who have been previously overlooked or erased, to American musical history. 

An advocate for a more accurate understanding of the country's musical origins through art, Giddens will dive further into this topic during her residency working with university librarians, faculty and students, and uniquely available resources at the U-M Clements Library, the Bentley Historical Library and the Labadie Collection to advance her research.

"I look forward to spending time at the University of Michigan this year, with their incredible archives and scholars, as I research and write my next book," she said.

"When the World's on Fire: How a Powerless Underclass Made the Powerful Music that Made America" will be a two-part exploration of American music beginning with the origins of early American instruments, through the roots of popular songs from today that pull from historical contexts in ways one might not expect.

"I would love to take readers on a trip through American music, guiding them through the discoveries that I have made that bring so many interesting layers to the American story," Giddens said in an interview. 

"And ultimately what these stories lead to, is that when you start peeling back the wrapper—despite what the people in charge or the people in power want to tell us—is that we are not actually separate. We are always coming together."

Through workshops, public events, master classes and collaborative, interdisciplinary projects, Giddens will work in and outside the classroom spanning many areas of study, from the Department of American Culture and the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, to musicology and vocal practice at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance and the Center for Racial Justice at the Ford School of Public Policy.

Throughout her residency, Giddens will share her knowledge and findings culminating in a September installment of the Penny Stamps Speaker Series ahead of the end of the residency in October 2025.

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