Fresh off Beyoncé's 'Texas Hold 'Em,' musician Rhiannon Giddens heads to Knoxville

Quick: What do Beyoncé and Yo-Yo Ma have in common?

Rhiannon Giddens, who is having a moment in the national spotlight thanks to her banjo-playing on Queen Bey's new country hit "Texas Hold 'Em."

Giddens, who also contributes viola on the track, was not exactly an unknown before the recent flurry of attention. She's a Macarthur Fellow, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and a two-time Grammy winner.

Knoxville audiences will have the chance to see Giddens when she returns to the Big Ears music festival for multiple performances March 22-24, including with the Silkroad Ensemble, part of a music collaborative founded by world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Beyoncé bringing Black country music to the forefront

The Feb. 11 Super Bowl drop by Beyoncé of two tracks from her upcoming album, "Cowboy Carter," catapulted Giddens to a new level of fame.

"The beginning is a solo riff on my minstrel banjo − and my only hope is that it might lead a few more intrepid folks into the exciting history of the banjo," Giddens posted regarding "Texas Hold 'Em" on Facebook. "I used to say many times as soon as Beyoncé puts the banjo on a track my job is done. Well, I didn't expect the banjo to be mine, and I know darn well my job isn't done, but today is a pretty good day."

Why did Beyoncé tap Rhiannon Giddens to play on 'Texas Hold 'Em?'

Beyoncé used a number of Nashville stalwarts on the two tracks from "Cowboy Carter" that have been released so far, including Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter (and "16 Carriages" co-writer) Atia "Ink" Boggs and pedal steel guitar player Robert Randolph.

But the banjo-heavy opening notes of "Texas Hold 'Em" rightly belong to Giddens, given her decades-long work espousing Black musical history.

Giddens has made a career out of stretching her brand of folk music into just about every field imaginable − including opera, ballet and film. She has said she centers her work around lifting up people whose contributions to American musical history have previously been overlooked or erased, and advocating for a more accurate understanding of the country’s musical origins.

Her most recent album, 2023's "You're the One," is "American music," she said, adding, "Blues, jazz, Cajun, country, gospel and rock − it's all there. I like to be where it meets organically."

What will Rhiannon Giddens perform at Big Ears?

Giddens is no stranger to Big Ears. She has previously performed at the festival three times, including in 2018, when she delivered a keynote address where she played with Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn.

Giddens has come back for a weekend that includes appearances with Christian McBride and Francesco Turrssi. Giddens, who serves as artistic director of Silkroad, also will be performing with Silkroad Ensemble and its new piece, "American Railroad."

Liz Kellar is a Tennessee Connect reporter. Email liz.kellar@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Fresh off Beyoncé hit, musician Rhiannon Giddens performs in Knoxville