The Black Opry Residency, featured as the Artist To Watch in March 2023, seeks to support the professional and creative development, and broaden the audiences, of up-and-coming Black performers whose original music is rooted in Americana, the collective term for country, bluegrass, folk, blues, gospel, alternative country, and singer-songwriter genres. The five Black Opry Residency musicians are:

• TYLAR BRYANT, Nashville, TN
• DENITIA, Nashville, TN
• GRACE GIVERTZ, Boston, MA
• THE KENTUCKY GENTLEMEN, Nashville, TN
• SAMANTHA RISE, Philadelphia, PA

These artists participated in a week-long creative residency in Philadelphia, where they co-created project activities, received one-on-one and group mentoring, and showcased their work through a capstone project performance for the public on March 24, which was broadcast live on WXPN and video webcasted via NPR Music Live Sessions. Read the recap and watch the whole showcase here.

Meet the artists and learn about this project in the related news below.

Black Opry Residency has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.