Rhiannon Giddens to headline Edinburgh Tradfest 2023
We’re delighted to announce that the headline acts for Edinburgh Tradfest’s opening weekend are now on sale.
Headlining on Friday 28 April and opening the 2023 festival is acclaimed American acoustic roots musician Rhiannon Giddens performing with multi-award winning collaborator Francesco Turrisi at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms. Rhiannon Giddens is a MacArthur Grant recipient, who co-founded the Grammy award-winning band Carolina Chocolate Drops. She is a two-time winner and six-time Grammy nominee for her work as a soloist and collaborator. She most recently won a Grammy for Best Folk Album for They’re Calling Me Home recorded with multi-instrumentalist, pianist and composer Francesco Turrisi (see above video). Recorded over six days in a small studio outside of Dublin in the early phase of the pandemic - where both Giddens and Turrisi live - They’re Calling Me Home effortlessly blends the music of their native and adoptive countries: America, Italy, and Ireland. The album has been heralded in the press as her finest work to date.
Giddens is an electrifying artist who brings to life the memories of forgotten predecessors. She has performed for the Obamas at the White House and received an inaugural Legacy of Americana Award from Nashville’s National Museum of African American History in partnership with the Americana Music Association. She is a member of the band Our Native Daughters, writes music for ballet and opera, recently announced the publication of her first book and, as an actor, had a featured role on the country music TV drama series Nashville.
Also headlining over the festival’s opening weekend are Scottish powerhouse Fara (Saturday 29 April) fusing the talents of Orcadian fiddlers and vocalists – Jeana Leslie, Catriona Price, and Kristan Harvey, with stand-out Highland pianist and newest band member Rory Matheson; and, on Sunday 30 April Ciaran Ryan – one of the UK’s foremost tenor banjo players performing with his high-octane band formed in Edinburgh following the release of his debut solo album Banjaxed in late 2019. The album was shortlisted for Album of the Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards.
Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “We’re delighted to be able to share our amazing line-up for our opening weekend ahead of the full programme going on sale early next year. We are currently putting the finishing touches on the rest of the festival and can report that ETF23 is going to be the best yet. Edinburgh Tradfest’s 2023 programme will be brimming with musical highlights from some of the best trad and folk musicians from Scotland and around the world.”
Catriona Hawksworth, Music Officer at Creative Scotland said: “ We are delighted to continue to support Edinburgh Tradfest in 2023. The festival has a reputation for showcasing some of the best musicians working in Scotland today alongside some incredible talent playing on the global folk scene, we wish the festival every success.”
The full programme for this year’s Edinburgh Tradfest will be launched in March 2023, and will include an unmissable line-up of live music, talks, new commissions, and storytelling thanks to continued support from Creative Scotland and the William Grant Foundation.
Edinburgh Tradfest 2023 will run from Friday 28 April - Monday 8 May. For tickets and more information visit our schedule pages
All media enquiries please contact Emma Henderson emma@publicimagepr.co.uk, 07977 134614
Notes for Editors:
2023 Opening Weekend Line-up
Friday 28 April
Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi | Music Hall, Assembly Rooms | Doors Open 19:00 | Starts 20:00 | £25/£20 plus booking fee. Special Guests: Roo and Neil
Saturday 29 April
Fara | Traverse 1 | Doors Open 19:45 | Starts 20:15 | £15/£12
Sunday 30 April
Ciaran Ryan Band | Traverse 1 | Doors Open 19:45 | Starts 20:15 | £15/£12
Edinburgh Tradfest runs from 28 April to 8 May 2023 and is managed by The Soundhouse Organisation.
Edinburgh Tradfest was originally launched in 2013 as a festival showcasing the very best in traditional arts. The festival was previously organised by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), who are based at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh. The Festival came under new direction from The Soundhouse Organisation in 2019.
The Soundhouse Organisation is a charitable body that promotes independent music. Since 2016, The Soundhouse Organisation has programmed music concerts at Edinburgh Tradfest and took over management of the whole Festival in 2019. The Soundhouse Organisation has programmed music at the Traverse Bar in Edinburgh regularly on a Monday night since 2014. The organisation is run on a day-to-day basis by Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy and is backed by a group of trustees who are passionate about live music. Find out more from
www.soundhouse.org.uk
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com