Yasmin Williams

About the artist

Yasmin Williams is an American composer and fingerstyle guitarist known for her inventive and distinctive approach to the acoustic guitar, often playing the instrument face-up on her lap and incorporating techniques such as lap-tapping, bowed guitar, and the use of a kalimba, harp guitar, and banjo. While her music is often categorized as contemporary folk, instrumental, and country, she describes her style as "folk adjacent, maybe a bit Americana," emphasizing her openness to multicultural influences and a refusal to be tied down by a single genre. Her latest endeavor is her third studio album, "Acadia," which was released on October 4, 2024, via Nonesuch Records. This album marks her debut with Nonesuch and features a more expansive sound through collaborations with a diverse range of artists. Williams has been touring in support of "Acadia," with past performances including dates with Brittany Howard and Michael Kiwanuka, and an appearance at London's Pitchfork Music Festival in November 2024. Looking ahead, she is slated to perform at Big Ears in 2026 and is reportedly collaborating on new music with fellow guitarist William Tyler. In recent news, Williams was involved in a public dispute in April 2025 regarding changes at the Kennedy Center, sharing emails with the interim president about programming and diversity initiatives, but still proceeded with her scheduled performance there in September 2025.