Taking Creativity Seriously

[Elizabeth]

Yo-Yo Ma, right, at a performance with the Silk Road Ensemble of the classic Arabian love story of Layla and Majnun, known and beloved throughout Central Asia.

The Silk Road Project, the brainchild of Yo-Yo Ma, has been called the most fascinating phenomenon in today's world music scene. Celebrating its 11th anniversary, this visionary venture continues to study, absorb and illuminate the many cross-cultural influences that flourished along the Silk Road, a series of trade routes that criss-crossed Eurasia for almost two thousand years.

"The Silk Road Project was formed to explore connections from ancient times to the present," says Mr. Ma. "These links form pieces of a puzzle that combine to reveal a coherent picture of who we are, what our place is in the world, and why we do what we do."

“This has been the best experience of my life. It has not only changed me musically, it has changed me as a person.” – Sandeep Das

“Improvising musically is a wonderful way to communicate even when you don’t share common language.” – Shane Shanahan

Why the Silk Road?

This historic trade network provides a 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.

“Every time I open a newspaper, I am reminded that we live in a world where we can no longer afford not to know our neighbors.” – Yo-Yo Ma

Since its inception, the project has connected musicians, composers, artists and audiences in 20 countries throughout Asia, Europe and North America; has released four CDs; and added more than 60 commissioned works to its repertoire from artists representing countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, Mongolia, South Korea, Tajikistan, Turkey, the United States and Uzbekistan.


The Silk Road Project provides a gateway to greater understanding of the world through active educational programs and resources and multidisciplinary explorations of topics inspired by the Silk Road.

Cultural Exchanges

The Silk Road Ensemble conducts cultural exchanges and workshops with musicians around the world, such as master khartal player Gazi Khan from Rajasthan, India. The khartal is a percussion instrument consisting of simple wooden blocks, held two in each hand.

It’s fascinating to see the instruments played by the Silk Road Ensemble - click here for photos and descriptions. The histories of many of these instruments offer illustrations of interplay between cultures, both along the historic Silk Road and today.

“The arts can contribute to an international dialogue of peace. Our purpose is to promote these experiences.” – Laura Fried

“We share more in common with the far reaches of our small planet than we realize” – Yo-Yo Ma

See their website to learn more.
Silk Road Project: Creative Exchanges

Below, a documentary showing the musicians interacting with each other and children, answering peoples’ questions and musical and storytelling performances, including an improvisation merging painting, music and dance, a few moments of a transcendent recitation of the Manas, and the showing of an ancient scroll as though it were a movie, accompanied by live music and narration.

Many performances are free to listen to online at Silk Road Radio.