PRAx and The Reser Present: American Strings: Leyla McCalla
The American Strings series kicks off its 2026-27 season with an artist whose on-stage interview with host Kelly Bosworth is sure to be as deep and wide-ranging as her musical impact. Born in New York City to Haitian emigrants and activists, Leyla McCalla finds inspiration from her past and present, making music that vibrates with three centuries of history and influences from around the globe.
McCalla possesses a stunning mastery of the cello, tenor banjo and guitar, and as a multilingual singer and songwriter, she has risen to produce a distinctive sound that reflects the union of her roots and experience. In addition to her solo work, McCalla is a founding member of Our Native Daughters with Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah and Allison Russell and an alumna of Grammy award-winning Black string band The Carolina Chocolate Drops. McCalla will perform a solo set following the interview portion of the evening.
PRAx gratefully acknowledges the support of the College of Liberal Arts for this program.