Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble will present delightful music during two upcoming concerts in Seoul and Daejeon, mixing tunes from both Europe and Asia.

The performances mark the 15th anniversary of the Silk Road Project and are part of the ensemble's Asian tour, following their U.S. and European performances. Their shows will be at the Seoul Arts Center on October 28 and at the Daejeon Arts Center on October 29.

The Silk Road Project is a non-profit cultural and educational foundation established by Yo-Yo Ma in 1998. He formed the Silk Road Ensemble with musicians from countries that lie along the ancient Silk Road, including China, Mongolia, Iran, India, Turkey and Korea. Yo-Yo Ma, the artistic director, has overseen the creation of 80 pieces of music with the ensemble and they perform music that is reminiscent of the old glory of the Silk Road.

The ensemble mixes different tunes and performing techniques expressed by both European and Asian musical instruments. Kim Dong-won, Kim Jee-young and Kang Joon-il, all from Korea, have taken part as composers to help create music for the ensemble.



The Silk Road Ensemble mixes European classical music, folk music and popular music to create its own music with different styles. The ensemble has so far issued five albums. "Off the Map," released in 2009, received a Grammy nomination for best crossover classical album in 2011. The ensemble communicates with the audience through a series of performances and its tunes have been well-received by aficionados.

Yo-Yo Ma has issued over 70 albums throughout his career and has received 15 Grammy Awards. He performs annually more than 100 times across the globe and enjoys huge popularity among the general public, although he is a classical musician.

Speaking of the Silk Road Project, Ma said, "I have been travelling around the world and have come to have the chance to develop interest and admiration for various cultures in different regions and to think about their communication with each other, searching for roots and wandering toward things unfamiliar, and traditions and innovations. This naturally led to an interest in the Silk Road, the venue for mutual exchanges between the East and the West in ancient times."

"Musicians need to have a deep understanding of traditions," he said. "They need to quickly and flexibly accept traditions from other countries and to be able to produce new things."



Yo-Yo Ma intends to present a reinterpretation of "Arirang," Korea's most popular folksong. "I was very moved when I performed such a song that contains deep sentiment for Korea. I will perform the music in a way that does not undermine the meaning of 'Arirang.'"

Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble also plan to perform "Night Thoughts" and "Saidi Swing," both on their 15th anniversary album, "A Playlist Without Borders."

Korean artists in the ensemble include Kim Dong-won, who plays the double-sided janggu drum, Kim Ji-hyun, who plays a six-stringed zither, the gayageum, and violist Kim You-young. They will also give an explanation to the audience about the ensemble's performance.

By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos courtesy of Credia
jun2@korea.kr