China – Concert Tour
October 2-12, 2007

Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble traveled to China to present concerts and cultural exchange workshops. Concerts took place at the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre, the Suzhou Science and Cultural Arts Centre, the Concert Hall at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and at Beijing’s Forbidden City Concert Hall.

The tour began with a performance at the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics at Shanghai Stadium, where the Ensemble and Yo-Yo Ma debuted a new song by composer Osvaldo Golijov, Kuai Le (meaning “joy,” one of the themes of the Special Olympics.) Audience members were given bamboo flutes that they used to accompany the Ensemble during the performance of “Kuai Le,” filling the stadium with the sound of tens of thousands of instruments at once.

While in China, Silk Road Ensemble musicians conducted a workshop with music students at the Beijing Conservatory and a community concert sponsored by American Express for more than 600 students at Hong Kong Student Aid Society Primary School in Tin Shui Wai.

The Silk Road Project is pleased to recognize Morgan Stanley as its China and Hong Kong sponsor and American Express as its Hong Kong sponsor. The Silk Road Project's cultural-exchange activities are supported in part by the United States Department of State's Bureau of Educational Affairs.