Repertoire: Exploring New Musical Languages

The aim of the commissioning program is to encourage and cultivate innovative collaborations from artists in the Silk Road countries and the West.

Year 2000, 16 commissions—The commissioning program was launched in the summer of 1999, when the Silk Road Project organized an advisory panel of esteemed musicians, composers, record executives, musicologists and presenters to review the musical works of composers representing the musical traditions of China, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Iran and Mongolia. The panel reviewed the works of over 40 composers and chose 16 composers who demonstrated the skills, knowledge and potential to create new chamber works reflecting the theme of cross-cultural exchange. Each of the sixteen commissioned works was rehearsed and reviewed at a performance workshop at the Tanglewood Music Center in July 2000.

Year 2001, 4 commissions—A second commissioning panel convened in January 2001 to review the works of 26 composers representing the musical traditions of Armenia, Italy, India, Japan, Korea, Pakistan and Turkey. Of this group, four composers were chosen to write new chamber works for a performance workshop at L'Académie musicale de Villecroze in southern France in August 2001.

Commissions

Armenia

Sharafyan, Vache
Acacia's Singing Aroma through the Morning Chirrup of Birds 2001 commission

Azerbaijan
Ali-Zadeh, Franghiz
Dervish (12'15") 2000 commission
Guliev, Javanshir
Caravan (15'56") 2000 commission

China
Zhao, Jiping
Moon Over Guan Mountains (11'45") 2000 commission

Zhu, Jian-er
Silk Road Reverie (15'44") 2000 commission

Chen, Xiaoyong
Fusion (15'00") 2000 commission

Han, Yong
Tactile Time (12'48") 2000 commission

Jia, Daqun
The Prospect of Colored Desert (9'27") 2000 commission

Liu, Yuan
Nirvana II (11'55") 2000 commission

Zhang, Xu Ru
Yi Xin (12'13") 2000 commission

Iran
Kalhor, Kayhan
Blue as the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur (18'06") arr. Kalhor / Prutsman, Stephen 2000 commission dedicated to the life of Harrison Kravis

Korea
Kang, Joon-Il
Hae-Maji Gut (A Shaman Performance to the New Sun) 2001 commission

Kim "Jacqueline" Jeeyoung
Tryst 2001 commission

Mongolia
Sansargereltech
Khara Khorum (18'52") 2000 commission

Sharav, Byambasuren
Legend of Herlen (12'03") 2000 commission

Tajikistan
Shahidi, Tolib-hon
Silk Road Dreams Dancing (14'27") 2000 commission
Untitled 2001 commission

Latif-Zadeh, Alisher
Circles of Time (15'41") 2000 commission
Untitled 2001 commission

Turkey
Uçarsu, Hasan
Eski Istanbul'un Arka Sokaklarinda (On the Back Streets of the Old Istanbul) 2001 commission

Uzbekistan
Bafoyev, Mustafa
Bukhara Concerto (19'09") 2000 commission

Yanov-Yanovsky, Dmitri
Night Music: Voices in the Leaves (16'08") 2000 commission