Silkroad Announces Participants & Performances for its 2023 Global Musician Workshop

70 students have been selected to participate in the workshop, which celebrates musical traditions from around the world

Silkroad and the New England Conservatory (NEC) will once again be collaborating in order to present the Global Musician Workshop (GMW) this August. The workshop is a professional development program that focuses on developing skills in a wide range of musical traditions from across the world.

70 musicians have been selected to take part from a pool of 175 applicants. They hail from 25 different countries, with 50% of those players coming from outside the United States, and between them, they play 26 different instruments.

The workshops are led by cellist Mike Block and pipa player Wu Man, and they will be joined by the following faculty: 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.

You can read the full list of selected participants here.

"I feel excited for the opportunity to spend a whole week with these incredible musicians and our outstanding faculty artists," said Mike Block, GMW Director. "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."

"It brings me such joy to be a part of GMW," added co-lead Wu Man. "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."