The Grammy-winning Silkroad Ensemble returns to The Soraya on Saturday, April 2 at 8pm with Home Within, a visual and lyrical tribute to those impacted by the Syrian tragedy.
Home Within is an emotional accounting of home in a time of conflict. An audio-visual performance conceived by Syrian composer and clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and Syrian Armenian visual artist Kevork Mourad, the result is an impressionistic reflection on the unity of loss, longing, and the impact of tragedy on our sense of ‘home’. Rather than follow a narrative, the artists document ‘home’ within specific moments in Syria’s recent history, using the counterpoint between image and sound to establish a sense of sustained urgency and continued hope for both their homeland and communities around the world.
The renowned Silk Road musicians hailing from over 20 countries draw from a rich tapestry of traditions to create a uniquely engaging and accessible encounter between the foreign and the familiar that reflects our own identities. Founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 2000 the core of Silkroad’s work has been to advance global understanding, deepen learning, and promote cross-cultural collaboration.
Hailed as “intensely soulful” and a “virtuoso” by The New York Times and “spellbinding” by The New Yorker, Winner of Opus Klassik award in 2019 clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh has gained international recognition for what the CBC has called his “incredibly rich sound” and his distinctive compositional voice across diverse musical genres.
Born in Qamishli, Syria, Mourad now lives and works in New York City. He received his Master of Fine Arts from the Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts in Armenia. Mourad employs his technique of live drawing and animation in concert with musicians – developing a collaboration in which art and music harmonize with one another.
For tickets please visit: thesoraya.org