Eurasia Consort a Silk Road Journey to the West

The Eurasia Consort presents a magical program of music from ancient times. Performing on a variety of musical instruments by master musicians, they bring to life the melodies and rhythms of courtly entertainment from times long ago. Audiences find themselves enchanted by this calm and cordial music that resonates centuries later in our modern world.

Eurasia Consort - Silk Road Journey to the West. During the 6th - 10th centuries Buddhism traveled from India and Central Asia to China. It also brought music and music instruments from India and Central Asia to the East. East Asian courts were filled with international music. Japan became a cul-de-sac of music and instruments. One Japanese Emperor, Shomu (701-756), built a Treasure House, the Shosoin, which included beautiful musical instruments (harps, lutes, flutes, pipes, drums and metallophone). Our concerts present music made by these instruments: the kugo- harp, hokyo-metallophone, gogen-biwa-5 string lute, shakuhachi-flute and piri-pipe.

The Tang Dynasty manuscripts survived mainly in Japan — in manuscripts imported from China - and also those found in the Douhuang Caves in western China.

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