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Music & Artists

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), Suntory Hall in Tokyo, 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

Hailed as “one of the 21st century’s great ensembles” by the Vancouver Sun, the Silk Road Ensemble draws together distinguished performers and composers from more than 20 countries in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Since the Ensemble formed under the artistic direction of Yo-Yo Ma in 2000, the group’s innovative artists have eagerly explored contemporary musical crossroads. The Seattle Times praised the result as “a cornucopia of music ideas…featuring instrumental and vocal artists of almost unimaginable virtuosity.”

The Boston Globe has called the group “a kind of roving musical laboratory without walls.” The description is apt: the Ensemble’s approach is experimental and democratic, founded on collaboration and risk taking, on continual learning and sharing among a kaleidoscope of cultures and art forms. 

Members explore one another’s traditions, celebrating the multiplicity of approaches to music from around the world. They also develop new repertoire that responds to the multicultural reality of our global society. As the Los Angeles Times has said, “The Silk Road Ensemble vision of international cooperation is not what we read in our daily news reports. Theirs is the better world available if we, like these extraordinary musicians, agree to make it one.”

The Silk Road Ensemble has performed to critical acclaim throughout Asia, Europe and North America and recorded five albums . The Ensemble's most recent recording, Off the Map, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album in 2011.

A rotating Silk Road Ensemble Leadership Council provides artistic direction by members of the Ensemble.


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
Haruka Fujii
Japan
percussion
Jonathan Gandelsman Israel/Russia 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 ruan, guitar
Yo-Yo Ma United States cello, morin khuur
Ali Asgar Mammadov Azerbaijan tar
Max Mandel Canada viola
Gulia Mashurova Kazakhstan harp
Kevork Mourad Syria/Armenia visual artist
Cristina Pato Spain gaita, piano, composer
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
Gabriela Lena FrankUnited States
Osvaldo GolijovArgentina
Jia DaqunChina
Jeeyoung KimKorea
Angel LamHong Kong
Alisher Latif-ZadehTajikistan
Lev Zhurbin (Ljova)Russia
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.