Yasmin Williams with the Dream Quartet

Yasmin Williams is an acoustic fingerstyle guitarist known for her unorthodox, modern approach to the instrument. Inspired by artists ranging from Chuck Brown to Jimi Hendrix, she began developing her innovative technique while studying music theory and composition at NYU. Incorporating alternate tunings, percussive hits, lap tapping, and even playing kalimba and guitar simultaneously, Williams expands the sonic possibilities of the acoustic guitar, often adding instruments such as kora, harp guitar, and banjo. Her “radiant sound and adventitious origins have made her a key figure in a diverse dawn for the solo guitar” (The New York Times), and NPR Music has observed that “the joy and possibility she brings to the guitar reminds me more of Eddie Van Halen than any of the other fingerstyle guitarists to whom she’s compared.” Her albums include Unwind (2018), Urban Driftwood (2021), and her latest release, Acadia, out now on Nonesuch Records. For tonight’s performance and for the first time in her career, Williams is joining forces with the Dream Quartet to play new arrangements of songs off Williams’s latest release, the deluxe reissue of her debut album, Unwind, along with other fan favorites. The Dream Quartet is a dynamic string quartet, mixing classical influences with a contemporary sound. Personnel include the following: Maggy Simon, violin Elizabeth Hendy, violin Dwayne Beach, viola Malachi Brown, cello More information about Williams can be found on her website (opens in a new tab). More information about the Dream Quartet can be found on the ensemble’s website (opens in a new tab). “One of contemporary music’s most visionary and courageous voices.” —International Folk Music Awards, 2026 The views expressed by performers during this event are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The 2026–27 Performing Arts Series is sponsored by the Musart Society. This program is made possible in part by the Ernest L. and Louise M. Gartner Fund, the P. J. McMyler Musical Endowment Fund, and the Anton and Rose Zverina Music Fund. The Cleveland Museum of Art is funded in part by residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Performing arts programs are supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.