The Grammy Award and 2017 MacArthur ‘Genius Grant’ winner Rhiannon Giddens will be here in Toledo for a one-night-only Spotlight performance with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) on Sunday, September 12, 2021 at 7 PM at the Peristyle Theater to perform a program of jazz, blues, country, Gospel, and Celtic music from her critically-acclaimed albums. She will also present a free lecture the following evening in The University of Toledo’s Doermann Theatre.
Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens began her musical studies at Oberlin Conservatory’s Opera Theater. In 2005, Giddens attended the Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, North Carolina where she met the future members of her band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, the first African American string band to perform on the Grand Ole Opry. In 2011, the band won the Best Traditional Folk Album at the Grammy Awards for their fourth album, Genuine Negro Jig.
“Rhiannon Giddens is one of those artists who will go down in history for more than just their extraordinary talent,” says Zak Vassar, President & CEO of the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts. “She is an all-around inspiring person, and her music reflects that. She fuses her operatic training with powerful, musical story-telling, giving a voice to some of the most important but forgotten people and events in history. We are proud to kick off our 21-22 season by bringing Rhiannon Giddens to our community. Her appearance is not to be missed.”
In 2015, Giddens launched her solo career with the critically acclaimed album Tomorrow Is My Turn, honoring the works of African American artists like Florence Quivar and Nina Simone. She has performed for President Obama at the White House and has appeared on numerous television shows, including The Late Show, Austin City Limits, Later…with Jools Holland, both CBS Saturday and Sunday Morning shows, and collaborated with country superstar Eric Church on his powerful anti-racism song “Kill a Word,” which included a performance on The Tonight Show and the CMA Awards, among other programs.
Giddens is as much at home on stage as she is in roles on television. She made her acting debut with a recurring role on the hit TV show Nashville, playing the character of Hanna Lee “Hallie” Jordan, a young social worker with “the voice of an angel.” In 2018, Giddens became the host of the Metropolitan Opera’s podcast series Aria Code, which dives into some of the most legendary arias, exploring key moments in Opera and how they affect the listener through emotions.
This one-night-only performance with Rhiannon Giddens and the Toledo Symphony will take place Sunday, September 12 at 7 PM at the Peristyle Theater. Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased now by calling 419.246.8000 or stopping by the TAPA Box Office in person (1838 Parkwood Ave.) For more information, visit toledosymphony.com.
HOW TO ATTEND:
What: An Evening with Rhiannon Giddens
When: Sunday, September 12, 2021, 7 PM
Where: Peristyle Theater, 2445 Monroe St.
Cost: Single tickets $30-$60
More info: Visit toledosymphony.com, stop by the TAPA Box Office located 1838 Parkwood Avenue, or call 419.246.8000, Monday-Friday, 9-5 PM
This performance is presented in partnership with The University of Toledo’s Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture Series.
Following her Sept. 12 performance with the Toledo Symphony, Rhiannon Giddens will visit The University of Toledo to serve as the 2021 Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture speaker. The event will be held on Monday, September 13, 2021, at UToledo’s Doermann Theatre located in University Hall on Main Campus starting at 7 PM. The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6 PM with seating on a first come, first-served basis.
“The Shapiro Lecture series is one of our premier intellectual events,” Charlene Gilbert, Dean of the UToledo College of Arts and Letters, said. “Each year, we feature an individual of significant stature in their field. This year, we are honored to present musician, musicologist, and historian Rhiannon Giddens. Ms. Giddens has made a name for herself both as a performer and an academic, sharing the little-known but highly influential people and events in the history of American music and society. Her work has earned her well-deserved awards, and we are thrilled to have her as our featured guest this year at The University of Toledo.”
The annual lecture is made possible by the Shapiro Endowment left by Dr. Edward Shapiro, professor emeritus of economics who retired in 1989, to provide opportunities for the University to bring world-renowned speakers to Toledo.
HOW TO ATTEND:
What: Edward R. Shapiro Lecture with Rhiannon Giddens
When: Monday, September 13, 2021, 7PM
Where: Doermann Theatre, University Hall, on the main campus of The University of Toledo
Cost: Free
More info: Visit https://www.utoledo.edu/al/shapiro-lecture/.
For more information about An Evening with Rhiannon Giddens, please contact Vanessa Gardner, Director of Marketing & Communications for the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts at vgardner@artstoledo.com. For more information about the Shapiro Lecture Series event with Rhiannon Giddens, please contact Angela Riddel, Promotions Specialist for the University of Toledo College of Arts and Letters at angela.riddel@utoledo.edu or Christine Billau, Media Relations Specialist for the University of Toledo at Christine.billau@utoledo.edu.
ABOUT TOLEDO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Toledo Symphony Orchestra is a community-supported organization of professional musicians and teachers who deliver quality performance and music education for all.
Formed in 1943 as The Friends of Music and incorporated in 1951 as the Toledo Orchestra Association, Inc., the Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has grown from a core group of twenty-two part-time musicians to a regional orchestra that employs sixty-nine professional musicians who consider the Toledo Symphony their primary employer, as well as numerous extra players annually as repertoire demands.
On January 1, 2019, the Toledo Symphony and Toledo Ballet officially merged to form the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), a new non-profit organization dedicated to providing exceptional live music and dance performances and education for the region. This partnership promises to create new and invigorating programs, provide cost and revenue synergies in operations, and integrate the arts through shared educational missions.
The Toledo Symphony reaches more than 260,000 individuals annually through performances and education programs. The series concerts (Masterworks, Pops, Chamber, Mozart in the Afternoon, and Family Series) are the critical underpinning of the orchestra’s artistic mission and regularly draw people from 135 postal zip codes. Education programs, student performances, and community concerts are held in schools, neighborhood churches, performing arts centers, and community facilities throughout the region; many are offered at no charge or provided at a reduced fee to help expand participation.
About the Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture Series
The Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture Series is a free, public annual event known for its outstanding speakers. The series is presented by The University of Toledo’s College of Arts and Letters. The lecture is named in memory of Dr. Edward Shapiro, a UToledo alumnus and economics professor for 22 years in the College of Arts and Sciences. He retired in 1989 and left an endowment so the University could bring world-renowned speakers to Toledo. He donated more than $4 million to the college during his lifetime.
“Dr. Shapiro believed that bringing a speaker who possessed a good deal of public recognition as well as intellectual gravitas was a great way to bring the University and the city closer together,” Jon Richardson, chair of the Shapiro Selection Committee said. “We have had great success. The Shapiro Lecture is one of the most important intellectual events during the school year.”
Past Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture speakers include Zanny Minton Beddoes, Audra McDonald, Andrew Young and many others. Visit https://www.utoledo.edu/al/shapiro-lecture/ for more information.
