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 the 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, and most recently won a Grammy for Best Folk Album for They’re Calling Me Homerecorded with multi-instrumentalist, pianist and composer Francesco Turrisi. Recorded over six days in the early phase of the pandemic in a small studio outside of Dublin – where both Giddens and Turrisi live – They’re Calling Me Homeeffortlessly blends the music of their native and adoptive countries: America, Italy, and Ireland and 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 Banjaxedin late 2019 which 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, Traditional Arts 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 traditional artists working in Scotland today alongside some incredible talent performing 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 https://edinburghtradfest.com/
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 Geddes and Neil Sutcliffe
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
Jim Welsh
Radio Summerhall Arts 