New York, NY (Top40 Charts) From
September 3 through
September 11, 2014, the critically acclaimed Silk Road Ensemble will travel to
Europe for a concert tour with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, bringing their unique border-crossing musical experience to audiences in Izmir and Istanbul, Turkey; Paris; Amsterdam; and Luxembourg. This tour marks the first performances by the group in Turkey and Luxembourg. A full tour schedule with information for individual concerts is available on the Silkroad website.
In Istanbul, the Ensemble will be joined by Aynur, a celebrated Turkish singer of Kurdish ancestry, who will be a special guest vocalist for the world premiere of Kayhan Kalhor's Layers of Loneliness. Mr. Kalhor's new work incorporates folk melodies and improvisation based on three Kurdish poems about love, loss, and the longing to find a loved one.
"One of my favorite things about the Silk Road Ensemble," said Yo-Yo Ma, Silkroad Founder and Artistic Director, "is the way we introduce each other to music and musicians whose work we are passionate about. In programming concerts, we hope to extend our own experience of curiosity and collaboration to our audiences, both familiar and new. In Europe, we will revisit old favorites as well as newer music: from our friends and fellow performers Kinan Azmeh, Kayhan Kalhor, and Colin Jacobsen, and also boundary-crossing composers Vijay Iyer and
David Bruce, whose pieces "Playlist for an Extreme Occasion" and "Cut the Rug" highlight our latest album, A Playlist Without Borders. I'm proud of the way that Silkroad—in the concert hall, at Harvard University, and elsewhere—has helped to define the idea of cultural entrepreneurship and to make sure that the arts and the new ideas they bring are part of society's most important conversations. As we celebrate Silkroad's 15th anniversary, we look forward to sharing some of the wonderful music that has resulted from our explorations at the edge."
Silk Road Ensemble Musicians on This Tour
Kinan Azmeh, clarinet (Syria)
Jeffrey Beecher, bass (USA)
Mike Block, cello (USA)
Nicholas Cords, viola (USA)
Sandeep Das, tabla (India)
Haruka Fujii, percussion (Japan)
Johnny Gandelsman, violin (Israel/Russia)
Joseph Gramley, percussion (USA)
Colin Jacobsen, violin (USA)
Kayhan Kalhor, kamancheh (Iran)
Yo-Yo Ma, cello (USA)
Cristina Pato, gaita, piano (Spain)
Shane Shanahan, percussion (USA)
Mark Suter, percussion (Switzerland/USA)
Wu Man, pipa (China)
Wu Tong, sheng, bawu, suona (China)
Filming for a documentary in progress about the Ensemble will continue in Turkey, led by Oscar-winning filmmaker
Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom). In Mr. Neville's words, "The Sound of Silk will serve as a lens for larger questions about cultural identity in a global society, and the potential for individuals to act as catalysts for change. Like the ancient Silk Road itself, The Sound of Silk, will make the foreign familiar while challenging long-held notions of identity and our place in the world."
The Silk Road Ensemble
Representing a global array of cultures, Silk Road Ensemble musicians co-create art, performance and ideas. The ensemble has been called "vibrant and virtuosic" by the Wall Street Journal, "one of the 21st century's great ensembles" by the Vancouver Sun, and a "roving musical laboratory without walls" by the
Boston Globe. Audiences and critics throughout Asia, Europe, and North
America have embraced these artists passionate about cross-cultural understanding and innovation. The group has recorded five albums, including the most recent CD, A Playlist Without Borders, and Live From Tanglewood DVD.
Yo-Yo Ma
The many-faceted career of cellist Yo-Yo Ma is testament to his continual search for new ways to communicate with audiences and to his personal desire for artistic growth and renewal. Mr. Ma maintains a balance between his engagements as soloist with orchestras worldwide and his recital and chamber music activities. In addition to founding and serving as artistic director of the Silk Road Project, Mr. Ma also is also the Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant to the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra's
Institute for Learning,
Access and Training. His work focuses on the transformative power music can have in individuals' lives, and on increasing the number and variety of opportunities audiences have to experience music in their communities.
Silkroad
Inspired by his curiosity about the world and eager to forge connections across cultures, disciplines, and generations, cellist Yo-Yo Ma founded the nonprofit organization Silkroad in 1998. The Silk Road Ensemble was formed in 2000 as a way of bringing together innovative performers and composers representing traditions from around the world. Through performances and the creation of new music, cultural partnerships, education programs, and cross-disciplinary collaborations, Silkroad seeks to create meaningful change at the intersection of the arts, education, and business. Hyosung Corporation is Lead Sponsor of Silkroad, 2011-2014.
