Silkroad Ensemble Presents HEROES TAKE THEIR STAND at The Soraya

The "United Nations" of music, Silkroad Ensemble celebrates its 20th anniversary with an entirely new multi-media, evening-length work that unpacks the magnitude of being fearlessly human in the face of incompatible obligations. Heroes Take Their Stands, both the name of the program and an ambitious multimedia commission project, is performed on Sunday, April 28 at 7:00pm at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya).

For this program, which was conceived of by folklorist and sociologist Ahmad Sadri, five composers and as many collaborators from diverse traditions have created new works that explore the stories of five heroic figures across time and cultures, with subjects ranging from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., to Elektra from Greek mythology, to Arjuna from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, to Dou E's fable from the Yuan Dynasty, to the Persian epic of Siavosh.

Each work was developed as part of a conversation between composer and collaborator, resulting in a multi-part, theatrical performance that brings together more than one dozen live instrumentalists with dance, video, animation, and pre-recorded music.

The artistic creators include: Pauchi Sasaki and Nomi Sasaki; Kaoru Watanabe and Wu Man; Colin Jacobsen and Aparna Ramaswamy; Jason Moran and Lucy Raven; and Kayhan Kalhor and Hamid Rahmanian.

Heroes Take Their Stands creator Ahmad Sadri has said: "Human societies have used folklore and tradition as means of sharing, reinforcing, and perpetuating values, and conveying deeply held moral and ethical norms. The protagonists we encounter in this suite of five performances were not born heroes. None of them are superior to humankind, nor are they deities or superheroes. They are normal individuals who choose to act or react in ways that spare others' lives or right profound injustices-and their acts offer enduring inspiration for us all."

He continued, "The decisions they make at these crucial moments in their lives-to do the right thing, to do the just thing, regardless of the personal consequences-is what makes them heroes. Their examples demonstrate that each of us is born with a capacity for heroism-and that it is up to each of us to choose to act, to take our stand. I have always felt that the sublime essence and grandeur of the heroic gesture cannot be truly captured in words alone. This was my inspiration for bringing these stories to Silkroad."

Like all of Silkroad's work, Heroes Take Their Stands explores the habits fundamental to living in a democratic society and an inclusive world: curiosity, empathy, and collaboration as well as being known for traditional instruments from dozens of global cultures

Human societies have used folklore and tradition as means of sharing, reinforcing, and perpetuating values, and conveying deeply held moral and ethical norms. The protagonists we encounter in the suite of five performances which comprise Heroes Take Their Stands were not born heroes. None of them are superior to humankind, nor are they deities or superheroes. be truly captured in words alone.

Single tickets start at $44. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit The Soraya or call 818-677-3000. Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts is located at 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330. Ticket prices subject to change.

Yo-Yo Ma conceived Silkroad in 1998 as a reminder that even as rapid globalization resulted in division, it brought extraordinary possibilities for working together. Seeking to understand this dynamic, he began to learn about the historical Silk Road, recognizing in it a model for productive cultural collaboration, for the exchange of ideas and tradition alongside commerce and innovation. And in a radical experiment, he brought together musicians from the lands of the Silk Road to co-create a new artistic idiom, a musical language founded in difference, a metaphor for the benefits of a more connected world. Today, these Grammy Award-winning artists seek and practice radical cultural collaboration in many forms, creating and presenting new music, teacher and musician training workshops, and residency programs in schools, museums, and communities. Silkroad has recorded seven albums. Sing Me Home, which won the 2016 Grammy for Best World Music Album was developed and recorded alongside the documentary feature The Music of Strangers, from Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville.

The 2018-19 Season marks the eighth year for the award-winning Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, which has quickly become one of the cultural jewels of the greater Los Angeles region. Under the leadership of Executive Director Thor Steingraber, The Soraya continues to expand its programming and outstanding multidisciplinary performances. The mission of The Soraya is to present a wide variety of performances that not only includes new and original work from the Los Angeles region but also work from around the world that appeal to all of LA's rich and diverse communities.

Photo Credit: Liz Lender