Postcards from the Road

SWITZERLAND
Lucerne Festival Concerts
August 23 & 25, 2007

The Silk Road Ensemble, with Yo-Yo Ma, performed at the acclaimed annual Lucerne Festival of Music under the 2007 festival theme of ‘Origins.’ The concerts on August 23 and 25 featured music rooted in the traditions of countries along the historic Silk Road; the programs also included a series of newly commissioned works that explore musical crossroads from around the world. The first program included “Mugam Sayagy” by Azerbaijani composer Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, who had been in residence at the Festival in 1999.

Seventeen Ensemble artists traveled from Iran, Canada, India, Singapore, China and the United States to participate in the Lucerne Festival.

Participating Silk Road Ensemble Artists

Siamak Aghaei, santur
Jeffrey Beecher, contrabass
Nicholas Cords, viola
Sandeep Das, tabla
Jonathan Gandelsman, violin
Joseph Gramley, percussion
Colin Jacobsen, violin
Eric Jacobsen, cello
Siamak Jahangiry, ney
Kayhan Kalhor, kemancheh
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Max Mandel, viola
Shane Shanahan, percussion
Mark Suter, percussion
Kojiro Umezaki, shakuhachi
Wu Man, pipa
Wu Tong, sheng

	One of several foot bridges that cross the river, joining the old and new Lucerne click the photo to enlarge
	Sandeep Das demonstrated a rhythm in a rehearsal for his composition for percussion and strings, “Tarang” click the photo to enlarge
	Adorned with flowers, this covered wooden bridge, the Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), is the symbol of Lucerne click the photo to enlarge
	Ensemble members on their way to rehearsal in Lucerne click the photo to enlarge
	Buildings in old Lucerne often boast flower boxes on every window click the photo to enlarge
	Shane Shanahan, Sandeep Das and Mark Suter shared a laugh while rehearsing “Vocussion,” a continually evolving encore piece for “vocal percussion” that was developed by the Ensemble percussionists click the photo to enlarge
	The Silk Road Ensemble performed at the Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Konzertsaal, Lucerne’s ultra-modern concert hall, whose roof soars over the lake click the photo to enlarge

All photos by Isabelle Hunter.