“Yo-Yo Ma doesn’t wait for musicians to come collaborate with him. He sends scouts around the world to find them,” writes Kierran Petersen on Wednesday (5/11) at Public Radio International’s website. “The result? The Silk Road Ensemble, Ma’s collective that promotes collaboration between artists from across cultures, disciplines and generations. The ensemble is profiled in the new documentary, ‘The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble’ ” in theaters starting June 10 and directed by Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom). Ma formed the ensemble in 2000 “as a way to connect artists from around the world. Today, the group performs and records music together, but also develops educational programs and facilitates connections between artists and organizations…. [Ma] encourages members of the ensemble to reach out and bring new people into the network. One of those people is Cristina Pato, a Galician bagpiper, pianist and teacher…. The key, she says, is the inclusive and generous space that Ma creates. She says that impacts everything from bringing new musicians into the fold to trying new combinations of instruments and styles.”
Posted May 13, 2016
