American Railroad

As a social-impact organization and home to a Grammy Award-winning musical ensemble, Silkroad works to inspire collaboration in innovative ways that add more equity and justice into the world through the power of the arts.

Silkroad’s newest initiative, American Railroad, illuminates the impact of African American, Chinese, Indigenous, Irish, and other immigrant communities on the creation of the U.S. Transcontinental Railroad and connecting railways in North America. Led by artistic director Rhiannon Giddens, each stop on the tour will contextualize — or rather re-contextualize — the railroad through music. These cultural intersections reveal a thread of commonality despite their varied origins, and remind us of the intricately rich American story. American Railroad’s stop in San Diego is presented by La Jolla Music Society.