A message from the Executive Director
This has been a rousing year for the Silk Road Project. Generous contributions from our donors have allowed us to create new artistic and educational programs with partners at Carnegie Hall, Harvard University, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As one Boston Globe reviewer wrote, “The Silk Road Project seems to have become, among all of its other goals, an incubator for emerging talent.” This year, with your support and encouragement, we introduced hundreds of children to Silk Road Chicago programs. After hearing the ensemble perform at the Chicago Children’s Museum, one fourth-grader sent us a postcard with a picture of the sun, clouds, birds – and a violin. He said he felt the music was amazing, because listening to the Ensemble he could visualize “a bird touching the sky.” The music he heard, Ascending Bird, was arranged for string quartet by Silk Road Ensemble violinist Colin Jacobsen. Colin took his inspiration form a song shared by Iranian Ensemble member Siamak Aghaei – who plays the santur a Persian hammer dulcimer – when they visited Tehran a few years ago. The Silk Road Ensemble first introduced the arrangement in the Flying Mystics gallery at the Rubin Museum of Art during our October residency. Another young student visiting the Midwest from Massachusetts posted a message for us at the Silk Road Chicago Oasis this summer. “Thank you so much Yo-Yo Ma for inspiring me,” she wrote. “I am 13 and have played the cello for 6 years, the Silk Road opened my eyes to more than what I know and have learned.” Like the many travelers along the Silk Road thousands of years ago, we have been able to broaden our understanding of the world with each step of our journey. We are grateful for your support and for the support of our Global Partner, the Ford Motor Company; our museum residency sponsor, Mikimoto Co. Ltd.; Ab Initio Software, and the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. With your help, we continue to serve as a catalyst promoting innovation and learning through the arts. In the coming months we look forward to presenting concerts and workshops in the United States, Europe, and China. I hope you’ll be able to join us on this magical journey. Sincerely,
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Dear Friends,
