Do you remember the first time you visited a place that you considered far, far away? These days, thanks to books, TV shows, and other types of media, just about anyone can experience the sights and sounds from beyond the horizon, and thanks to one ensemble, this sort of proverbial world travel is possible, musically. Hello – I’m Loki Karuna, and on this edition of Noteworthy you and I will travel all the way to Asia, with a little help from the Silk Road Ensemble. The Silk Road Ensemble was formed in 2000 as a way of bringing together innovative performers and composers representing traditions from around the world. Since their founding, they’ve worked with a number of world-class musicians and composers, including Yo-Yo Ma and composer Zhao Jiping, who teamed up to create this Mongolia-inspired musical journey alongside the rest of the Silk Road Ensemble: it’s a work called Summer in the High Grassland. Since the original release of this recording back in 2005, the Silk Road Ensemble has won a number of awards, including the Grammy for Best World Music Album in 2017. If you’re looking for a way to get away without getting away, the Silk Road Ensemble is your ticket – one among many of today’s most Noteworthy performing ensembles. Noteworthy is a production of WDAV classical public radio. Pictured: Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens by Adam Gurczak.
Silk Road Ensemble
