Central Park SummerStage Kicks Off!

Silk Road EnsembleJoin SummerStage on opening night for a collaboration unlike any other: an evening of music, dance, art and stories with legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma, his internationally acclaimed Silk Road Ensemble, and NYC students.

Former ballet star Damian Woetzel will direct this one-of-a-kind program featuring the chamber orchestra The Knights and actor Bill Irwin as the Innkeeper, with appearances by vocalist Bobby McFerrin, author Jhumpa Lahiri, jookin dancer Lil Buck and other surprise guests, as well as Silk Road Connect sixth graders from Edward Bleeker JHS 185, Frederick Douglass Academy III, Granville T. Woods MS 584, and PS/MS 161 Pedro Albizu Campos School.

Yo-Yo Ma founded the Silk Road Project in 1998 to promote innovation and learning through the arts. Taking inspiration from the cultural traditions of the historical Silk Road, which connected Asia to the Mediterranean, the Project is home to the Silk Road Ensemble, a collective of internationally acclaimed performers from more than 20 countries.

This performance is supported in part by Hyosung Corporation, Ford Foundation, MetLife Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.