WorldFest: Mike Block and Sandeep Das in Concert
- Event Date: Friday, April 8, 2022
- Time: 7:00 pm (CDT)
- Location: Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL
- Cost: Free
Sandeep Das (tabla) & Mike Block (cello/vocals) are a dynamic, cross-genre duo that originally met as members of Yo-Yo Ma’s Grammy Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble. Featuring a combination of the tabla (a pair of Indian drums used in Hindustani Classical music), cello (a bowed string instrument used in European classical music), as well as vocals (both rhythmic and melodic), this energetic duo has been performing since 2013, sharing their music throughout America and India via tours and residencies, and even on the stage of Carnegie Hall. Their debut album includes compositions from Western Classical and North Indian Hindustani traditions, adaptations of music from around the world, and several of their own original compositions.
"Raw, organic, eclectic and soulful dialogue” - Jazziz
"Never before has such an unorthodox pair of instruments sounded so deeply powerful." - NPR/WBUR
“An extraordinary variety of sounds, moods and styles from just twin Indian hand drums and a cello.” - Gramophone Magazine /Songlines
"A unique project by two imaginative, talented, and spiritually connected musicians that will stir the heart and mind. Both players have an excellent musical understanding and fluidity that combines into a beautiful sound." - Staccatofy
"Their journey of musical discovery seamlessly traverses a myriad of traditions and cultures to create something that is both respectful and innovative." - I Care If You Listen
"Breathless … half dance, half dare” - NY Times
"… Truly is a stunning piece of work. Listening to the record is like watching two of the top dancers in the world perform for you in an empty room where you are the only audience. What’s captured here sounds like nothing else out there today and should be heard by as many people as possible.” - WeAllWantSomeone.org
Biographical Information
A 2020 Guggenheim Fellow, Sandeep Das is one of the leading Tabla virtuosos in the world today. Having established himself as India’s top tabla maestro, he is one of the few Indian classical musicians to actively explore new contexts for his instrument beyond the music of his home country. Since his debut concert with Ravi Shankar at the age of 17, Mr. Das has gone on to perform with iconic artists such as Yo-Yo Ma and Paquito D’River at prestigious venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to the Royal Albert Hall. Performances for significant events such as the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics and the World Economic Forum, in addition to audiences such as the United Nations and the Queen of England, have established as a highly sought-after performer all over the globe. Mr. Das is also a prolific composer, and his compositions have been showcased all over the world–- his most recent piece, Vaishnavi, is currently on display alongside a statue of the Goddess Parvati at Freer|Sackler in Washington D.C. As an educator, he is the founder of Das Tabla School and is frequently requested as an artist in residence at institutions such as Harvard and the Julliard School of Music.
Mike Block is a pioneering cello player, singer, composer, and educator, hailed by Yo- Yo Ma as the "ideal musician of the 21st-Century". Mike is member of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble (SRE), having joined in 2005 while a student at The Juilliard School. Touring extensively throughout the world with SRE, he has been featured as cello and vocal soloist, contributed arrangements and compositions, and earned a Grammy Award in 2017 for their album, Sing Me Home. As an innovator, Mike is among the first wave of cellists to adopt a strap in order to stand and move while playing. With The Block Strap, Mike was the first standing cellist to perform at Carnegie Hall. The NY Times characterized the performance as, "Breathless ... Half dance, half dare." As an educator, Mike is passionate about creativity and collaboration, and is the founding director of Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop, and the Mike Block String Camp.
The Spurlock Museum acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency for WorldFest events.
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