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Black Opry Residency

WXPN, University of Pennsylvania
WXPN’s Black Opry Residency Showcase featuring (l to r) Grace Givertz, Denitia, Kentucky Gentlemen’s Brandon and Derek Campbell, Tylar Bryant, and Samantha Rise. Photo by Senia Lopez for WXPN.
WXPN’s Black Opry Residency Showcase featuring (l to r) Grace Givertz, Denitia, Kentucky Gentlemen’s Brandon and Derek Campbell, Tylar Bryant, and Samantha Rise. Photo by Senia Lopez for WXPN.
Pew Fellow Samantha Rise at the Black Opry Residency Showcase
Pew Fellow Samantha Rise at the Black Opry Residency Showcase, 2023, World Café Live. Photo by Senia Lopez, courtesy of WXPN.
Black Opry Residency artists. From left to right: Samantha Rise; The Kentucky Gentlemen, photo by Laura Moll; Denitia, photo by Noelle Fries; Tylar Bryant; Grace Givertz, photo by Omari Spears.
Black Opry Residency artists. From left to right: Samantha Rise; The Kentucky Gentlemen, photo by Laura Moll; Denitia, photo by Noelle Fries; Tylar Bryant; Grace Givertz, photo by Omari Spears.

A creative residency program supports five emerging Black Americana music artists—Denitia, Tylar Bryant, Grace Givertz, Samantha Rise, and the Kentucky Gentlemen (twin brothers Brandon and Derek Campbell)—who participate in a weeklong residency in Philadelphia in a collaborative space where they can focus on creative exploration, audience engagement, and professional development. To identify the residency artists, WXPN partnered with the Black Opry collective, which offers a platform for Black musicians and Black fans of country, blues, folk, and Americana music. The residency culminates in a public performance by the artists. An accompanying podcast chronicles the project and the participants’ creative processes, expanding audiences for Black artists working to redefine their place in the American musical canon.

Watch the final showcase at World Cafe Live.

The total grant amount represents project funding plus an additional 20% in unrestricted general operating support.

Recipient
WXPN, University of Pennsylvania

WXPN, University of Pennsylvania

WXPN (88.5 FM) is a nationally recognized public radio station operated by the University of Pennsylvania, with a focus on rock, blues, roots, and folk music. The station is known for its World Cafe music program, which is distributed by National Public Radio to many non-commercial stations across the US. 

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