Newsletter

Summer 2008 Newsletter

A view from the Silk Road: "With advances in communication and technology, we are more closely interconnected than ever before. What kind of education will prepare students to live on such a planet?"

• Drawing inspiration from familiar wells: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble return to Japan
• A path to passionate learning: The fruits of three years of collaboration at Harvard
• Sounds of the Silk Road: the ney
• Beijing: tale of a “fusion city”
• Tell me a story: RISD residency turns artists into performers
• A message from the Executive Director: “Hearing new music for the first time is one of the most exciting aspects of our work”

Winter 2008 Newsletter

• A view from the Silk Road: “The ripples from an idea cast nearly a decade ago are forming ever-broadening circles...”
• Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble return to China
• A new take on an epic love story: the Silk Road Ensemble retreats to develop a new chamber piece
• Museum residency in Switzerland draws record crowds
• Sounds of the Silk Road: the pipa
• New music springs from Silk Road Chicago
• A message from the Executive Director: "we are excited to open the doors and windows of cultural exchange"

Summer 2007 Newsletter

• The view from Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road: "The Project has been a catalyst for a new kind of conversation..."
• The Silk Road Project brings musical traditions of more than eight nations to three continents over the next year
• With its elegant, warm tone, the kamancheh calls to mind the timbre of the human voice
• Rhode Island School of Design students investigate new forms during a Silk Road Ensemble residency
• The Silk Road Project and SPICE collaborate to integrate art and music into study of world history
• The Silk Road Ensemble inspires community-wide dialogue in Santa Barbara
• The Silk Road Project inspires new initiatives and cross-disciplinary approaches: reflections from Laura Freid, CEO and executive director

Winter 2007 Newsletter

• Collaboration with young composers and musicians yields vibrant new Silk Road Ensemble repertoire.
• Silk Road Sounds: Legend says a goddess created the sheng after hearing a phoenix take flight.
• In a pairing that would make Scheherazade proud, the Silk Road Ensemble performed live a new score for a screening of the classic feature-length animated film, The Adventures of Prince Achmed.
• The Windy City's cultural institutions teemed with energy during the Silk Road Ensemble's most recent sojourns.
• More than just travel guides, Silk Road Chicago Express Passports invite children to experience the art and culture of the Silk Road. The Silk Road Project has become an incubator of emerging talent: reflections from Laura Freid, CEO and executive director.
• The Silk Road Project has become an incubator of emerging talent: reflections from Laura Freid, CEO and executive director.
• The view from Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road: the Boston Globe reviews the Ensemble at Harvard.

Fall 2006 Newsletter

• The Silk Road runs through Chicago - the first article in a series on Silk Road Chicago
• Yo-Yo Ma wins Dan David Prize and contributes $900,000 to help fund Silk Road Chicago
• Beyond Words: May 2006 Silk Road Ensemble Residency in Baku
• RISD Residency: in the Silk Road Ensemble, percussion doesn't play second fiddle
• "Art and music can seem ethereal. Yet when we ask why we find ourselves in such a fractured world, art and music may be even more important."
• Silk Road Sounds: The santur: even a novice can produce correct tones, but mastery is another story
• "What could make a more fitting location for a Silk Road journey?" Artistic Director Yo-Yo Ma on Silk Road Chicago.

Spring 2006 Newsletter

• Silk Road sells out . . . Harvard's Sanders Theatre, that is. Check out the concert notes.
• What happens when the Silk Road goes to Harvard? Read about a collaboration that students, teachers, and musicians will never forget.
• The Silk Road goes Hollywood! Read the inside scoop!
• Silk Road news of note: Reports on our latest honors and awards
• Planes, trains, busses, and Buddhas: Silk Road journeys through Japan. Read a personal account of our incredible international museum residency.
• New directions, new partners, new possibilities: reflections from the CEO/Executive Director.
• New leadership, new board members infuse Silk Road with new spirit as they build on a strong foundation.
• Shakuhachi: say it three times fast. Read about an instrument that has been around for nearly 15 centuries.
• Silk Road musicians inspired by play to play: Artistic Director Yo-Yo Ma shares his thoughts on the origin of creative collaborations.