Silkroad and New England Conservatory announce 2022 Global Musician Workshop

Silkroad and New England Conservatory (NEC) have announced the continuation of their partnership to present the Global Musician Workshop (GMW) from 8-12 August.

Directed by cellist Mike Block and co-led by pipa player Wu Man—who was awarded an honorary doctorate of music from NEC last year—the programme brings together  faculty artists, including members of the Grammy Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble and special guests, and students who represent a variety of cultures and musical languages.

’This will be our first in-person reunion of the GMW community since the pandemic and we are so excited to collaborate again, learning music from both faculty and participants over five intense days of rehearsals, jamming, and workshops,’ said GMW director Block.

’GMW is a one-of-a-kind gathering of globally-minded musical artists from vastly different cultures, styles, and instruments. The week of cross-cultural explorations and collaborations is beyond the scope of anything I’ve experienced anywhere else, and our public performances will give us the opportunity to share our joyous music live with the Boston community for the first time!’

Over five days, participants will engage in faculty-led workshops, jam sessions, topic-based elective classes, and more. They will also share the NEC Jordan Hall stage for a multi-night Performance Festival, from 10-12 August, to showcase their learnings and music making. 

This year, and for the very first time, 60 applicants were selected out of a pool of 158 to participate in GMW with tuition fees being fully underwritten by Silkroad (a value of $1,000 per student). Applicants to the 2022 programme represented 33 countries and 42 different instruments.

The programme is open to anyone over the age of 18. Participants include professional and amateur performers, students, teachers, and teaching artists from a plethora of backgrounds and musical styles. Through the inclusion of classical, folk, jazz, and traditional genres from across the globe, they learn, share, and incorporate each other’s traditions while expanding their own artistry. Hundreds of musicians, representing nearly 40 different countries and over 40 kinds of instruments, have participated in GMW since its inception in 2015.