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A man with his mule going toward a river.

© ALEX SIEVERS

Why the Silk Road?
This historic trade network provides a namesake-worthy metaphor for the Silk Road Project's vision of connecting artists and audiences around the world. Yo-Yo Ma has called these routes, which resulted in the first global exchange of scientific and cultural traditions, the "Internet of antiquity." The Silk Road Project takes inspiration from this age-old tradition of cross-cultural exchange.

Silk Road Ensemble member Joseph Gramley demonstrating a waterphone to RISD students during a residency

Silk Road Ensemble percussionist Joseph Gramley demonstrating a waterphone to RISD students during a residency

© DAVID O’CONNOR

Artists in Residence

Since 2005, the Silk Road Project has been affiliated with Harvard University and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where the Silk Road Ensemble serves as artists in residence. Annual residencies are designed to encourage intensive, multidisciplinary artistic and intellectual collaborations and to expand the scope of audience participation beyond a concert-tour format.

A recent Harvard residency explored ways to inspire passion-driven learning, while the latest RISD residency invited students behind the scenes of a new multimedia piece and provided an opportunity to perform for Rhode Island high school students.

“In our complex world it is crucial that educators have the tools to help students understand not only their own lives, but the broadest possible horizons as well.”
– YO-YO MA