A NEW ERA FOR SILKROAD
Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens has a dream for Silkroad: that there is no American music or world music, but music of the world defined by how we each live within it. At Silkroad, we have the opportunity to show that even as we reflect differences in our culture, language, and art, we can prove that at the heart of our humanity, we are the same.
We are excited to announce four new artistic projects that explore this vision. These musical commissions — to be paired with community outreach and educational programs — will expand across the arts so we can reach and inspire people far from gilded concert halls.
We invite you to scroll down and discover what lies ahead in the new era of Silkroad.
THE AMERICAN SILKROAD
Home to a concert series, educational programming, children's book, musical commissions, and media collaborations, The American Silkroad shines a light on American music in its truest form — a melting pot of cross-cultural collaboration — celebrating the cultural unification that came from the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad here in the United States. This project will focus on the musical contributions of the Indigenous, Irish, Chinese, and Black Americans, proving that nobody is a stranger when coming together in the world of music.
PHOENIX RISING
During this unprecedented moment in history, society has risen and fallen together. Separated and yet united by a shared sense of grieving and upheaval, the Phoenix Rising Concert Series is Silkroad’s rebirth and celebration of life after COVID-19 and is set to be Silkroad Ensemble’s return to the stage. Reemerging primed for a new era of music, these concerts are Silkroad’s collective grieving song, spiritually reconnecting audiences through varied cultural experiences and a reflection of hope and togetherness following harrowing times.
POWERED BY WOMXN
An initiative aimed at uplifting and empowering the voices of Silkroad artists, Powered by Womxn is a commissioning fund that looks to highlight the immensely talented female and non-binary musicians that comprise our Ensemble.
HOME WITHIN
Home Within is an emotional accounting of home in a time of conflict. An audio-visual performance conceived by Syrian composer and clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and Syrian Armenian visual artist Kevork Mourad, the result is an impressionistic reflection on the unity of loss, longing, and the impact of tragedy on our sense of 'home'. Rather than follow a narrative, the artists document home within specific moments in Syria’s recent history, using the counterpoint between image and sound to establish a sense of sustained urgency and continued hope for their homeland and communities around the world.
The Making of Home Within, a mini-documentary film, is slated to be presented in April 2021.