Cellist Yo-Yo Ma came up with the idea of Silkroad, formerly named the Silk Road Project, in 1998, inspired by the historical Silk Road trading route that linked China with the West.

The Silkroad Ensemble launched in 2000, comprising musicians from countries along this route. ‘We started as a group of musicians getting together and seeing what might happen when strangers meet,’ Ma said. To mark 20 years since these musicians first came together, The Strad presents a video from the Silkroad Youtube channel: composer Kinan Azmeh’s ‘Wedding’ from Suite, for improviser and orchestra, recorded in 2016 at Tanglewood, where the ensemble first performed.

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