National Sawdust Presents: Silkroad Up-Close featuring Shane Shanahan Quartet and Edward Pérez Trio with guest Mahya Hamedi

National Sawdust Presents: Silkroad Up-Close is a National Sawdust–hosted performance series in Brooklyn that brings Silkroad’s cross-cultural chamber ethos into an intimate setting. Drawing on the nonprofit ensemble founded by Yo-Yo Ma, the programs pair contemporary-classical writing with improvisatory practice and close listening.

Silkroad is a not-for-profit ensemble launched in 1998 by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, built around collaboration across musical lineages linked, in spirit, to the old Eurasian trade routes. In New York City, the group has brought its “Silkroad Up-Close” format to National Sawdust, foregrounding small-group encounters rather than large-scale spectacle.

Yacouba Sissoko is a kora player from Mali who is based in Harlem, bringing the 21‑string West African harp-lute into New York’s contemporary music circuit. His work often moves between composed frameworks and open improvisation, shaped by collaborations across jazz, pop, and contemporary-classical scenes.

Mike Block is a cellist, vocalist, composer, and arranger whose work moves between classical craft and collaborative, cross-genre settings. In New York City he has appeared at National Sawdust, including Silkroad Up-Close programs that place small ensembles and improvisation in close view.

Mike Block Duo is a classical-leaning ensemble heard in New York City at National Sawdust, where their work sits comfortably inside the venue’s contemporary chamber ecosystem. The group’s network overlaps with Silkroad circles, appearing in programs such as National Sawdust Presents: Silkroad Up-Close alongside artists including Shane Shanahan, Edward Pérez, and guest Mahya Hamedi.

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