Silkroad Announces March 2026 Tour of Sanctuary: The Power of Resonance and Ritual

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Published on November 11, 2025

Silkroad Announces March 2026 Tour of Sanctuary: The Power of Resonance and Ritual

Today, Silkroad announced its next flagship touring program under the visionary artistic leadership of Rhiannon Giddens, Sanctuary: The Power of Resonance and Ritual. From March 10-28, 2026, Giddens and the Silkroad Ensemble will visit eight cities across the United States, bringing a communal concert experience that emphasizes cross-cultural collaboration, improvisation, and audience participation. Many tour stops will include free public programming in addition to the performances, allowing for deeper connection and increased community access. Tickets for the Sanctuary concerts are on sale now.

In this new program, Giddens, Silkroad artists, and special guests explore how music can help us better understand our world, find comfort, process loss and a changing environment, and rebuild community based on our own humanity. Throughout history, humans have turned to music for solace and soothing in times of conflict or stress. In particular, the idea of “trance”—leading to a profound peace that is hard to find in modern society—is closely tied to the communal making of music in many different cultures. This shared musical experience helps us uplift one another, and find joy and hope through stronger relationships.

“This is a very exciting program for Silkroad, and it feels relevant for this time in our world. Music has been a healing force across cultures for thousands of years, something that soothes and reaches deep into one’s soul. In Sanctuary, we’re digging into various traditions where music has a long history of doing just that. Some are already represented within the Ensemble, and we’re learning about others with the help of our guest artists. I’m looking forward to this journey of connecting and healing through the power of music,” said Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens.

The roster of Silkroad artists assembled for the tour represents musical traditions from around the world, with master musicians from Congo, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Scotland, and the United States: Shawn Conley, Sandeep Das, Haruka Fujii, Maeve Gilchrist, Layale Chaker, Karen Ouzounian, Mazz Swift, Niwel Tsumbu, Francesco Turrisi, and Kaoru Watanabe. Additionally, Moroccan guembri player Mehdi Nassouli and Italian percussionist Mauro Durante will join the Silkroad Ensemble as special guests for the first time. Through musical conversation and improvisation, the artists will delve into one another’s styles, such as Sicilian tarantella, Moroccan Gnawa, Indian Classical music, American old-time, and more.

The music comprising Sanctuary will unfold organically among the artists, as they explore new sounds and rhythms through active listening and improvisation. They will contribute ideas and compositions pulling from their own stories of how music has served as a source of healing and comfort, as well as respond to each other musically in real-time. Giddens and the Silkroad Ensemble also plan to engage with audiences more than ever before, inviting them to be active participants rather than passive bystanders and to be part of their community for the evening.

“This program comes out of a desire to know each other better, to know our traditions better, and to deepen our connections so that we can continue along. We’re going to be creating music more freely and in the moment, and engaging the audience as part of that process. Our hope is that the concert and the space itself will become a sanctuary for everyone,” added Giddens.

Throughout the tour, Silkroad will offer free public programming that takes musicians outside of the concert halls and into local communities for a more intimate experience, such as:

In Bowling Green, Silkroad will partner with The Jar to bring an evening that weaves together art, conversation, and a shared meal. Participants will be in dialogue with people who are both like them and not like them, uncovering perspectives rarely encountered in daily life. Salons at The Jar aren’t shows to watch—they’re shared experiences that unfold moment by moment, sparking laughter, intimacy, and the possibility of lasting friendships.
In Fairfax, Silkroad will join the Friends of the Center for the Arts Artist-in-Conversation series for an evening of dialogue, music, and shared movement. Silkroad is in its fourth year as a Mason Artist-in-Residence at the Center for the Arts at George Mason University.
In Chicago, Silkroad will lead a community dance workshop in collaboration with Old Town School’s Music Moves Initiative, exploring trance-inspired dance traditions and celebrating the power of music and movement. This vibrant event invites participants of all ages to connect through rhythm, culture, and shared creative expression.
In the Bay Area, Silkroad will partner with the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music to bring specially curated artistic experiences throughout Oakland communities. This collaboration, part of the Conservatory’s 20th anniversary celebration, will honor two decades of creative excellence and community impact in Oakland.

The schedule and details for the free public programming will be announced on a rolling basis.

“The Silkroad team is proud to offer these multi-day, free experiences for the general public—which are drawn out of conversations and engagement with local communities—to complement the debut tour of Sanctuary. We are consciously considering how we enter, engage, and exit the communities that we visit as we travel across the country, as well as contemplating how we can build this work in a way that speaks to local traditions, needs, and interests. Our hope is that these activities will be meaningful touchpoints for all involved, and that they will resonate with communities beyond the halls,” said Executive Director Ben Hartley.

2026 SANCTUARY: THE POWER OF RESONANCE AND RITUAL TOUR –

ROSTER & SCHEDULE:

Rhiannon Giddens, banjo/vocals

Shawn Conley, bass

Sandeep Das, tabla

Mauro Durante*, percussion

Haruka Fujii, marimba, percussion

Maeve Gilchrist, harp / Layale Chaker, violin

Karen Ouzounian, cello

Mazz Swift, violin/vocals

Niwel Tsumbu, guitar

Francesco Turrisi, frame drums, accordion