Whether he is performing a new concerto, collaborating on chamber music, reaching out to young audiences and student musicians or exploring non-Western cultures and musical traditions, Yo-Yo Ma strives to find connections with audiences around the world. He is empowered by music as a means of communication and as a vehicle for the migration of ideas across cultures. He has immersed himself in subjects that span from native Chinese music to the music of the Kalahari people of Southern Africa.

Ma is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Silk Road Project and performs cello in The Silk Road Ensemble. He established the Project in order to promote the study of cultural, artistic and intellectual traditions along the ancient Silk Road trade route. By examining the flow of ideas throughout this vast area, the Project seeks to illuminate the heritages of Silk Road countries and identify the voices that keep these traditions alive.

Yo-Yo Ma was born to Chinese parents living in Paris and began studies with his father at age four. Soon after, he came to New York and enrolled in The Juilliard School. He graduated from Harvard University in 1976.

The Silk Road Ensemble is central to the Silk Road Project. It is a collective of internationally renowned artists and musicians interested in exploring the relationship between tradition and innovation in music from the East to the West. While they are committed to maintaining the integrity of the traditional arts, they also regularly commission new works.

American Express is a proud supporter of Seattle Symphony and these performances of The Silk Road Project. Ford Motor Company is continuing as a Global Corporate Partner to The Silk Road Project as part of its long-standing tradition of arts education support. Carpets provided by Driscoll Robbins Fine Oriental Carpets. Tour management provided by ICM Artists. -- www.seattlesymphony.org