Performances + Events
The week-long program will welcome 70 students from around the globe to participate in workshops and concerts with Silkroad artists, NEC faculty, and special guests
For the third consecutive year, Silkroad and New England Conservatory are partnering to present the Global Musician Workshop (GMW) from August 6-12. The 2023 program includes seven days of professional development workshops and a multi-night Performance Festival featuring Silkroad artists, NEC faculty, special guests, and GMW participants. Performances are open to the public; tickets are available at silkroad.org.
Through a process co-led by two Silkoad artists, cellist Mike Block and pipa player Wu Man ’21 Hon. DM, this year’s GMW brings together 70 musicians, representing 25 countries and 26 instruments. These participants were selected from a pool of 175 applicants—50% of which were international individuals—and their tuition to participate in the program will be fully underwritten by Silkroad.
See the names, instruments, and country of origin for the 2023 GMW participants.
“I feel excited for the opportunity to spend a whole week with these incredible musicians and our outstanding faculty artists,” said GMW Director Mike Block. “As in previous years, we will learn about various cultures, instruments, and styles, leaning into what makes each of us unique and sharing in the musical language that brings us all together. It will be a real treat to dive into so many different perspectives of what music can be, while also finding our common ground.”
Co-Lead Wu Man ’21 Hon. DM added, “It brings me such joy to be a part of GMW. Every year, it’s incredible to see all the different people, colors, and languages coming together from around the globe. It’s what I’ve always wanted to achieve through my career—sharing cultures and creating a global community of musicians. Although I am unable to participate in the workshop this year, I was very happy to collaborate closely with Mike, planning an exciting week of classes, talks, and jam sessions. The musicians who will join us are all deeply connected to their own backgrounds and musical styles, so it’s a wonderful, welcoming opportunity to connect and collaborate with one another.”
Joining Block to teach and lead a diverse set of sessions will be Silkroad artists Maeve Gilchrist, Edward Pérez, and Balla Kouyaté (who is also NEC Faculty); NEC Faculty Hankus Netsky; and guest artists Jamey Haddad, Mei Han, Abeer Nehme, and Kala Ramnath. This group of all-star faculty artists represents a wide range of cultural backgrounds and musical traditions.
Participants will take part in faculty-led repertoire and arranging workshops; elective classes covering a variety of topics such as techniques, concepts, and styles; nightly jams and open mic nights; and community-building activities. All sessions will focus on music-making and cross-cultural collaboration, a value that inspired the creation of the Silkroad Ensemble and continues to be its guiding principle. In that spirit, students will be encouraged to learn, exchange, and integrate each other’s musical traditions while advancing their own skills.
In addition to their professional development work, participants will perform for audiences at NEC’s Jordan Hall as part of the 2023 GMW Performance Festival from August 8-12. The first concert showcases GMW faculty, followed by four evenings of participant performances in which they will share new music and arrangements created over the course of the week.
For more information about Silkroad’s annual GMW program, please visit silkroad.org/gmw.
GMW presents five varied concerts, showcasing faculty and participants alike! On August 8, the GMW Faculty Concert will feature newly created arrangements by the faculty artists, blending together musics from India, Mali, the United States, China, Lebanon, and more. From August 9-12, GMW participants will perform in bands alongside GMW faculty to present brand-new arrangements of tunes from around the world.
