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Music & Artists

The Millennium Park in Chicago, Illinois.

© DAN REST

World-Stage Concerts
The Silk Road Ensemble has given performances in locations ranging from concert halls to stadiums to museum galleries throughout the world, including Millennium Park in Chicago (above), Carnegie Hall in New York, Shanghai Stadium in China, Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, the Royal Albert Hall in London and the United Nations General Assembly Hall.


"We have developed a bond of mutual respect, friendship and trust that is palpable every time we're on stage."
– YO-YO MA

The Silk Road Ensemble is a collective of approximately 60 internationally renowned musicians, composers, arrangers, visual artists and storytellers from more than 20 countries.

© TODD ROSENBERG/SONY BMG MASTERWORKS


The Silk Road Ensemble

The Silk Road Ensemble is a collective of internationally renowned performers and composers from more than 20 countries. Each Ensemble member's career illustrates a unique response to what is one of the artistic challenges of our times: nourishing global connections while maintaining the integrity of art rooted in an authentic tradition.

Many of the musicians first came together under the artistic direction of Yo-Yo Ma at a workshop at Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts in 2000. Since then, in various configurations, Ensemble artists have collaborated on a diverse range of musical and multimedia projects, presenting innovative performances that spring from Eastern and Western traditions and contemporary musical crossroads.

The Silk Road Ensemble has recorded five albums and performed to critical acclaim throughout Asia, Europe and North America.


name country instrument
Siamak Aghaei Iran santur, composer
Edward Arron United States cello
Jeffrey Beecher United States contrabass
Mike Block United States cello
Nicholas Cords United States viola
Gevorg Dabaghyan Armenia duduk
Sandeep Das India tabla, composer
Joel Fan United States piano
Jonathan Gandelsman Israel violin
Joseph Gramley United States percussion, composer
Ben Haggarty United Kingdom storyteller
He Cui China sheng
Hu Jianbing China sheng, bawu
Rauf Islamov Azerbaijan kamancheh
Colin Jacobsen United States violin, composer
Eric Jacobsen United States cello
Siamak Jahangiry Iran ney
Kayhan Kalhor Iran kamancheh, composer
Khongorzul Ganbaatar Mongolia urtiin duu (longsong)
Dong-Won Kim Korea Korean percussion, vocals, composer
Ji Hyun Kim Korea kayagum, vocals
You-Young Kim Korea viola
Li Hui China pipa
Liu Lin China sanxian
Yo-Yo Ma United States cello, morin khuur
Ali Asgar Mammadov Azerbaijan tar
Max Mandel Canada viola
Gulia Mashurova Kazakhstan harp
Kevork Mourad Syria visual artist
Cristina Pato Spain Galician bagpipe
Alim Qasimov Azerbaijan mugham vocals
Fargana Qasimova Azerbaijan mugham vocals
Bassam Saba Lebanon oud, nay, composer
Shane Shanahan United States percussion, composer
Mark Suter Switzerland/United States percussion, composer
Kojiro Umezaki Japan shakuhachi, composer
Wu Man China pipa, composer
Wu Tong China sheng, bawu, composer
Betti Xiang China erhu
Yang Wei China pipa
DaXun Zhang China contrabass
namecountry
Rabih Abou-KhalilLebanon
Christopher AdlerUnited States 
Franghiz Ali-ZadehAzerbaijan
Jia DaqunChina
Gabriela Lena FrankUnited States
Osvaldo GolijovArgentina
Jee-Young KimKorea
Angel LamHong Kong
Alisher Latif-ZadehTajikistan
LjovaRussia
Nurlanbek NyshanovKyrgyzstan
Sangidorj SansargereltechMongolia
Vache SharafyanArmenia
Byambasuren SharavMongolia
Giovanni SollimaItaly
Dmitri Yanov-YanovskyUzbekistan
Zhao JipingChina
Zhao LinChina
Evan ZiporynUnited States


Music is often commissioned for the Silk Road Ensemble from these and other composers. Many Silk Road Ensemble performers also compose music for the Silk Road Ensemble.