Rhiannon Giddens’ new opera with Michael Abels, Omar, gets its long-awaited world premiere at Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston ... Jeremy Denk is at Hay Festival in Wales ... Tigran Hamasyan plays StandArt at Jazz sous les Pommiers in France ... Hurray for the Riff Raff tours with Bright Eyes in Florida, Atlanta ... Kronos Quartet is at Bergen International Festival in Norway ... Lake Street Dive plays three shows in upstate New York ... Joshua Redman, Christian McBride perform at Wigmore Hall in London ... Caroline Shaw, Attacca Quartet are in Maryland, as are Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway ... Wilco leads Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA; Daughter of Swords performs ...

Rhiannon Giddens has been named the Music Director for the 77th Ojai Music Festival, to be held June 8–11, 2023, in Ojai, CA. The initial list of guest artists includes Francesco Turrisi, Attacca Quartet, Wu Man, and Kayhan Kalhor. “I am so thrilled that Rhiannon Giddens accepted my invitation to become Music Director of the 2023 Ojai Music Festival,” says the Festival’s Artistic and Executive Director Ara Guzelimian. “I have boundless admiration for Rhiannon as both a compelling musician and as an extraordinary artistic catalyst bringing together musical worlds towards important philosophical, cultural, and social goals." Julia Bullock performs at the 2022 Festival, which takes place June 9–12. Past Artist Directors include John Adams, Jeremy Denk, and Dawn Upshaw.

Punch Brothers were on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night to perform Jimmie Rodgers’ “Any Old Time,” from their new album, Hell on Church Street, a reimagining of, and homage to, the late bluegrass great Tony Rice’s landmark solo album Church Street Blues. You can watch the performance here. Punch Brothers perform at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, ROMP Fest, Ottawa Jazz Festival, and Blue Ox Music Festival in June and are then joined by Watchhouse and Sarah Jarosz for the American Acoustic tour across the US.

Congratulations to vocalist, violinist, composer, and producer Caroline Shaw, who was one of ten individuals to receive an honorary degree from her alma mater Yale University for distinction in their fields at Yale’s 321st graduation ceremony on Monday. She was given an honorary Mus.D. Shaw earned her master’s degree from Yale in 2007 after graduating from Rice University in 2004. “The 10 individuals we honor this morning serve as examples to you, our graduates, to encourage you to aspire to excellence and to value those elements of human character that they embody: creativity, curiosity, discipline, integrity, and a passion for public service,” Yale President Peter Salovey said during the university-wide Commencement ceremony.

Mary Halvorson performs songs from her just-released Nonesuch debut albums, Amaryllis and Belladonna, with the musicians on the albums in New Hampshire and Quebec this weekend ... Jeremy Denk brings Bach to Bath ... Rhiannon Giddens gives a lecture in Richmond ... Tigran Hamasyan brings StandArt to Budapest ... Emmylou Harris is at FreshGrass in Arkansas ... Hurray for the Riff Raff tours Texas with Bright Eyes ... Gabriel Kahane is in Chicago and Ann Arbor ... Kronos Quartet is in Germany ... Lake Street Dive plays Pittsburgh ... Jeff Parker, Lee Ranaldo are at LPR in NYC ... Caroline Shaw, Attacca Quartet are in Austria ... 

Gabriel Kahane, currently on tour, is the guest on the latest episode of the podcast Beginnings with Andy Beckerman following the recent release of his new album, Magnificent Bird. “It’s wonderful,” Beckerman says. “I listen to it over and over.” You can hear the wide-ranging conversation here.

Ahead of the long-awaited world premiere of Omar, the opera composed by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC, next Friday, Giddens has released her own recording of the song “Julie’s Aria” from the opera. The recording was made by Giddens with guitarist Bill Frisell and her frequent collaborator Francesco Turrisi. Omar is based on the life and autobiography of enslaved Muslim scholar Omar Ibn Said, who was forcefully brought to Charleston from Africa in 1807. “My work as a whole is about excavating and shining a light on pieces of history that not only need to be seen and heard," Giddens says, "but that can also add to the conversation about what’s going on now. This is a story that hasn’t been represented in the operatic world—or in any world.” Omar will also be performed by LA Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Boston Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Carolina Performing Arts at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

The Black Keys joined Apple Music's Zane Lowe to talk about their new album, Dropout Boogie, which Lowe describes as the "Mount Olympus" of Black Keys albums. The Black Keys also discuss lessons learned from over twenty years of making music together, the history of albums like Brothers and Turn Blue, and their journey to a number one album. You can watch the conversation here.

Two new items of Nonesuch-logo merch are now in the Nonesuch Store: a heather-gray pullover hoodie and t-shirt! Keep cozy while enjoying your favorite albums indoors and on the go in the new heather-gray heavyweight hoodie with a front pocket and fleece interior, made by Lane Seven. And show your love of fine music in style and comfort while sporting the slim-fit, light-weight heather-gray tee made from 100% cotton by Next Level Apparel. These new items join other Nonesuch-logo merch in black: a t-shirt, zip-up hoodie, tote bag, hat, mug, slipmat, and buttons. Orders also include a free Nonesuch sticker to boot. 

Hurray for the Riff Raff (aka Alynda Segarra) stopped by Amoeba Music in Hollywood to share what they've been listening to and reading lately, including music by Bessie Smith, The Weather Station, Toots & the Maytals, Bad Bunny, Nina Simone, and more. You can take a look inside here. Hurray for the Riff Raff heads out on tour as special guest of Bright Eyes starting Thursday.

The Black Keys’ eleventh studio album, Dropout Boogie, is out now. “Some of the stickiest alt-boogie of their career,” says Rolling Stone. “Still raw, fast and loose,” adds the Associated Press. Classic Rock magazine exclaims: “Rock'n'roll in 2022 doesn't get any better than this.” The band was on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to perform the tracks “It Ain’t Over” and “Wild Child"; you can watch both here. The Black Keys will tour North America for the first time in three years starting in July. The band will take part in an iHeart Radio album release party tonight.

Guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson makes her Nonesuch debut with two albums, Amaryllis and Belladonna, out now. The two suites come in a two-LP vinyl set or as two separate CDs and digital albums, produced and mixed by John Dieterich. "These are new landmarks in Halvorson’s already inimitable discography," exclaims the Guardian in a five-star, Jazz Album of the Month review. Amaryllis is a six-song suite performed by a newly formed sextet of master improvisers; the Mivos string quartet joins for three of the songs, making this the largest ensemble for which Halvorson has written to date; you can watch a new video for the title track here. Belladonna is a set of five compositions written for Halvorson on guitar plus the Mivos Quartet, whose parts are through-composed and augmented by Halvorson’s guitar improvisations. They celebrate the albums’ release with performances of the two suites in Brooklyn, New Hampshire, and Quebec next week.