March 13 and 14, 2009
Hill Auditorium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
University Musical Society
So did you find Yo-Yo Ma taking pictures with his cell phone in the zoomable inauguration photo from Gigapan.org circulating in emails? The email says that the photo is a composite of over 200 shots and “Bonus points if you find Yo-Yo Ma taking pictures with his cell phone.”
He couldn’t play at the inauguration because of the bitter cold that day, but you can come see him in concert at the famed Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Cold in Michigan? Nah…). Buy your tickets early as the concert is expected to sell out.
“Yo-Yo Ma is part modern Marco Polo, an explorer of cultures far beyond his own; part musical missionary, eager to share ideas and make vital connections between peoples.” (Chicago Tribune) Founded by Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, the Silk Road Project has been a catalyst for a new kind of conversation, opening avenues of inter-cultural communication and collaborative thinking. For about 2,000 years the Silk Road was the main conduit for the spread and exchange of goods, ideas, religions, and culture, connecting people from Asia to the Mediterranean. The collective is drawn from internationally renowned musicians interested in exploring the relationships between tradition and innovation in music from the East and West. “When I started the Silk Road Project,” says Yo-Yo Ma, whose 25 years of touring influenced his view and understanding of the world, “I began to understand the geographical and musical connections between all of these incredible cultures — all these ‘other’ classical musics, the Persian classical music, the Indian classical music, and so on. I got a sense that at one time these connections were much closer, and over time that certain things got split off and developed independently.” After last season’s stunning solo recital, Yo-Yo Ma returns with two different performances featuring artists from the Silk Road Ensemble. Two different programs featuring Yo-Yo Ma, with specific artists to be announced.
Check out ums.org to learn more about the instruments used by the Silk Road Ensemble, to see an interview with Yo-Yo Ma, and more!
