Yo-Yo Ma and Rhiannon Giddens Lead Silkroad Ensemble at Carnegie
Saturday, November 14 at 7 PM in Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall, Midtown: a 25th-anniversary night of world and classical music.
Yo-Yo Ma founded the Silkroad Ensemble to bring classical players and traditional musicians from many parts of the world into the same room. On Saturday, November 14, the group marks its 25th anniversary at Carnegie Hall with a 7 PM concert that doubles as a milestone for a project built on the idea that different musical languages can talk to each other.
Two voices, one stage
Ma, the cellist whose name is almost synonymous with the modern concert stage, shares the evening with Rhiannon Giddens, the singer and banjo player known for bringing old roots music into new settings. Giddens plays banjo and viola and sings, so the night moves easily between the classical and folk sides of the ensemble's repertoire.
The group itself is a gathering of instruments that rarely share a stage. Western strings and winds, including clarinet, violin and bass, sit alongside tabla, Celtic harp, pipa, accordion, shakuhachi and a wide range of percussion. Few concerts in Midtown put together such a varied group of players, and that mix is the whole point.
Why it is worth the trip
Anniversary concerts naturally look backward, and this one has good reason to. The ensemble has built its reputation on the idea that a melody from one tradition can sound fresh beside another, and a night that marks twenty-five years gives listeners a chance to hear how far that idea has traveled. For anyone who likes concerts that are curious and generous, it is an easy choice for a Saturday evening.
The details
The concert begins at 7 PM in Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, 881 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, at the corner of West 57th Street. Tickets are sold through the hall's box office and website. The listing we checked does not show prices, so look at the hall's calendar entry for seating and current pricing. Allow extra time for Midtown traffic on a Saturday evening.
Bring curiosity, and if you have a friend who has never heard a pipa up close, bring them along. A twenty-fifth anniversary is a good moment to hear a group that has kept its sense of adventure for a generation.