Providence (Rhode Island), USA - PRNewswire- The Silk Road Project, connecting artists and audiences around the world under the artistic direction of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, announced today that it will launch a global journey in 2007 with Silk Road Ensemble concerts, residencies, workshops and museum events in Santa Barbara, Berkeley, Seattle, Chicago, Providence, Cambridge, Lucerne, Zurich and China.

Ford Motor Company Fund is Global Corporate Partner to the Silk Road Project, as part of its long-standing tradition of arts education support.

The musicians of the Silk Road Ensemble -- an eclectic, loosely knit band of virtuosos, rooted in the traditions of more than eight nations -- will perform more than 25 concerts with programs of new compositions and traditional music, as well as 4 multimedia performances. The Silk Road Project's year ahead also features collaborations with the Art Institute of Chicago and the Rietberg Museum in Zurich, as well as residencies with Harvard and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). An unprecedented year-long Silk Road celebration in Chicago continues with a wide range of events, including concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in April, and a major concert for schoolchildren at Millennium Park in June.

"We established the Silk Road Project to study the ebb and flow of ideas among different cultures along the ancient Silk Road," Yo-Yo Ma stated. "This year, through our concerts, residencies and commissions, we re-trace old paths of exchange and explore some of today's most exciting musical crossroads from the United States to Europe to Asia."

"Given the contemporary global environment, the ideas that inspire the Silk Road Project are even more compelling today than they were at our inception in 1998," commented Laura Freid, CEO and Executive Director.

About the Silk Road Project

The Silk Road Project is a not-for-profit arts organization founded in 1998 by cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Inspired by the cultural traditions of the historic Silk Road, the Project brings artists and audiences around the world together and acts as a catalyst to promote innovation and learning through its concerts, university and museum residencies and workshops in North America, Europe, Central Asia, China and Japan. Commissioning new works is also a central mission. To date, the Project has commissioned 25 new works from artists representing nine countries.

For more information on the Silk Road Project, visit: http://www.silkroadproject.org