American Railroad

Grammy Award-winning musical ensemble and social organization Silkroad works to inspire collaboration in innovative ways that add more equity and justice into the world through the power of the arts. Today, under the leadership of Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens, Silkroad reaches new heights through a commitment to new music, a reignited mission towards cultural collaboration, and a reinvigorated focus to high-quality arts education that both reflects its mission and the times in which we live.

American Railroad, Silkroad’s newest undertaking challenges modern perceptions of the American identity by highlighting stories untold and voices unheard and illuminates the impact that African American, Chinese, Indigenous, Irish, and other immigrant communities had on the creation of the United States’ transcontinental railroad and connecting railways in North America. Exploring the dissemination of cultures across the United States, the railroad was to North America what the Silk Road was to China, the Far East, and Europe. These immigrant populations played a fundamental role in one of America’s most important technological and economic achievements of the 19^th century – along with shaping the country’s cultural identity – yet their contributions have all too often been erased from history. 

This performance, which features new, original music written by Ensemble members and outside composers, will amplify these untold stories to paint a richer, more accurate picture of the origins of the American Empire and the formation of our multifaceted American identities. Chinese traditional music on instruments such as the suona and pipa are contrasted with the fiddle and banjo of Black musical traditions or their Indigenous and Celtic counterparts. These cultural intersections reveal a thread of commonality despite their varied originsand remind us of the intricately rich American story..