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| | | Azerbaijani mugham singer Fargana Qasimova
| © DAVID O'CONNOR
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We are sometimes asked how our name came to be. We're a nonprofit organization, not a short-term initiative, so why do we call ourselves the Silk Road Project?
Founded by Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, the Silk Road Project was indeed first conceived as a project—one that would explore the intersections of musical ideas across cultures and the ongoing interplay of tradition and innovation. When it first formed, the Silk Road Ensemble brought together Western musicians with performers from countries along the ancient Silk Road trading route to record an album and play a series of concerts and festivals around the world between August 2001 and January 2003.
Gradually we realized that the project (now the Project) would be an ongoing one. Over the years, our Ensemble has grown to involve visual artists, dancers and storytellers, as well as musicians, and our music draws not only from the Silk Road region but from traditions and innovations from around the world. Our educational commitment has both broadened and deepened. From our first series of materials for teachers about music along the Silk Road, we have come to Silk Road Connect, which is realizing the transformative power of the arts through intensive hands-on engagement with teachers and students.
The Silk Road has proved so potent a metaphor that its inspiration extends far beyond the boundaries of a geographic region. "Silk Road" to us means curiosity to learn about what is precious to others, and willingness to share across boundaries of form and discipline, language and culture.
We hope you'll take a look at our recent recap of the Project's first 10 years, which chronicles this transformation—and that the powerful metaphor of the Silk Road will serve as inspiration to you. See photos, videos, articles and a timeline of our first decade in our online report: Connecting the World's Neighborhoods. |