BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
One might suggest that the world itself should take a leaf from Silkroad Ensemble’s book. The group brings together a collection of individuals hailing from more than 20 different countries.
And they unite simply to make music.
This bold performance initiative was established by globally cherished cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and will tonight perform at the Melbourne International Arts Festival. We hear from six of Silkroad’s musicians, who talk to us about the experience of playing in this unique group.
You’re set to perform a selection of works ranging from traditional Vietnamese, Tibetan, and Chinese; through to contemporary compositions such as those from Kojiro Umezaki to Colin Jacobsen. Why are you in love with your concert program?
The very broad range of narratives in the varied works on our programs are mirrored by the musical and creative encounters of the eclectic collective of performers of the Silkroad Ensemble.
I think that’s the incredible force of Silkroad’s collaboration and programming. In coming together, we become open to transcend our own personal and cultural backgrounds and aesthetic.
– Mario Gotoh, viola
How did Silkroad discover this broad collection of works?
The artists of Silkroad create most all of the music we play. We have a really wide ranging musical collective, with virtually everybody in the group able to contribute on a deeply creative level. We enjoy creating (and co-creating) works that allow for fluid boundaries between fixed composition and improvisation.
Programmatically, we assemble works that allow the listener to experience not only a wide swath of cultures, but also to feel like they are part of a dialogue between traditions.
– Nicholas Cords, co-artistic director and viola
As reflected in the diverse range of works on the program, Silkroad features musicians from 20 countries. So how does your group operate on a practical level?
Distance is no longer such an issue as it was in the past for performing groups. With FaceTime, internet, and file sharing, an incredible amount of pre-tour planning and preparation can be done for a group that functions the way Silkroad does.
Of course, time with each other is crucial, but there are many shared experiences that we all draw on that help us learn or relearn material. The entire group may not be able to be together for long periods of time, but smaller subsections or individuals may see each other more frequently or work on other projects together. This keeps the sense of cohesion and flow when we do have the opportunity to work together in a larger group setting.
A strong dose of passion and desire to create fuels everyone in the group. So when we are together, it’s non-stop, which is a pleasure.
– Mark Suter, percussion
How does Silkroad embrace such a range of musical approaches? How do you come together for one “sound”?
In Silkroad, we seek to complement each other rather than match each other, especially in terms of sound quality. Though we need to groove really tightly together, we also want to leave space for everyone in the group to play with their own sound – we don’t want to mask the individuality of each player.
Playing in Silkroad requires making decisions about what aspects of the music we want to be unified, and what aspects we want to be free. And underlying the process is a foundation of deep listening, respect, trust, openness, and the shared goal of connection with each other and with our audience.
– Karen Ouzounian, cello
Your ensemble was established by Yo-Yo Ma. What’s been your experience with the cellist, and how can we see his vision in concerts like those you’ll perform with the Melbourne Festival?
Yo-Yo’s vision permeates all that we do with Silkroad Ensemble. I like to think of him as a ‘venture culturalist’. His openness to exploration and to learning about other cultures and music has been incredibly inspiring. His ability to welcome strangers to our collective, and to have them so quickly become friends, has been an amazing experience. This experience with Yo-Yo has, in turn, allowed trust and communication to go from the stage out to our listeners.
Our program for Melbourne demonstrates this through works, both traditional and innovative, from across the globe.
– Joseph Gramley, percussion
You’ve also performed in another program as part of the festival earlier this month – Layla and Manjun. Why is this work meaningful to your ensemble?
This work is enriching on several levels for us. To bring masters of the Mugan singing tradition to a Western audience is meaningful and important. To then combine that sound with Silkroad musicians is very satisfying. The beautiful dance then gives both the audience and the musicians on stage a whole new way of listening to this wonderful music.
– Shawn Conley, bass
Silkroad Ensemble performs tonight at 7pm in Hamer Hall – one night only.
Shout the writer a coffee?
[purchase_link id=”12246″ style=”button” color=”red” text=”Pay what you like”]
If you like, you can give thanks to Stephanie for volunteering her time for Australian arts journalism. No amount too much or little.
Image supplied: credit Liz Linder. Pay what you like securely with PayPal. We protect your personal information.
