ARTISTIC CURATORS

Mike Block

Global Journeys Series artistic curator

Artistic Curator Mike Block, a critically acclaimed cellist and composer in his own right, takes audiences on a musical journey spanning the world! With inspired performances and cross-cultural collaborations featuring a multitude of folk traditions from around the world, the Global Journeys concert series will be like a thrilling musical travelogue.

Mike Block is a pioneering cello player, singer, composer, and educator, passionate about cross-cultural collaboration through music. Acclaimed by the New York Times for his “vital rich-hued solo playing”, Mike Block “is one of the bravest, most intriguing musicians on the American fusion scene.” (Gramophone). In addition to being a soloist, Mike collaborative projects include a duo with Indian tabla player Sandeep Das, a 6-piece American/African fusion band co-led with Malian balafon player Balla Kouyate, and the Mike Block Trio.

Since 2005, Mike has been a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and earned a Grammy Award in 2017 for their album Sing Me Home. Addiitonally, Mike has been invited to perform as a concerto soloist with numerous symphonies, as well as collaborated in performances and/or recordings with Stevie Wonder, The Eagles, Bon Iver, Will.i.am, The National, The New York Philharmonic, Bobby McFerrin, Allison Krauss, Rhiannon Giddens, Edgar Meyer, Julian Lage, and many others.

Mike is an active recording artist of original material, folk music, and cross-cultural collaborations, releasing almost 20 albums under his name that regularly chart near the top of multiple Billboard categories. Recent albums include Machines that Fly and the debut album with Sandeep Das, Where the Soul Never Dies.  Mike has been a contributing producer for Facebook’s Sound Collection since 2017, for which he has composed, arranged, recorded and produced around 500 recordings, ranging from Western Classical to contemporary pop, and traditional music from around the world. He is also in frequent demand as an arranger and has contributed arrangements for artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Elton John, Bobby McFerrin, Rhiannon Giddens, Parker Quartet, Angélique Kidjo, and many of the world’s finest dancers as Music Director of the Vail Dance Festival,.

As an educator, Mike is passionate about developing creativity and collaboration among performers of all ages. In 2010, he founded the Mike Block String Camp and he is also the founding Director of Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop, designed to foster a community of globally-minded musicians through immersive performance experiences in multi-cultural settings. He also teaches around 600 cello students online through his Multi-Style Cello School at ArtistWorks.com and authored the book Contemporary Cello Etudes, published by Berklee Press. From 2012-2022, Mike served as Associate Professor at the Berklee College of Music, and is currently on faculty of New England Conservatory.

As an innovator, Mike is among the first wave of cellists to adopt a strap to stand and move while performing. Using his patented design, The Block Strap. In 2020, Mike founded Play For The Vote (PFTV), which organizes musical performances at polling locations across the country on Election Day, with the goal of increasing voter turnout by providing a more positive voting experience.

Mike attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and earned a Master’s Degree from the Juilliard School. He plays on a modern cello made in 2014 by Fabienne Gauchet, a Yamaha electric cello, D’Addario strings, a David Gage Realist pickup, and The Block Strap. Mike lives in Boston with his wife, fiddler Hanneke Cassel, and their young daughter.

MIKE BLOCK’S WEBSITE

Bijon Watson

Iconic Jazz Legacies artistic curator

Distinguished jazz trumpeter Bijon Watson introduces audiences to a series entitled Iconic Jazz Legacies that offers a new look at some of jazz’s greatest legends and musical relationships.  The programs will feature some of the most respected and dynamic performers today re-imagining musical conversations from the genre’s storied past.  The series acts as both a loving homage and a fresh musical odyssey.

Grammy Award winning trumpeter Bijon Watson’s career as a musician and educator spans more than 25 years and has taken him around the globe to perform for audiences worldwide. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Bijon attended the New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School, and the University of Southern California, and was a member of the 1994 Disney All-American College Band and 1995 Disney/Grammy All-American College Jazz Band. His love for big band jazz inspired him to become a student of the great bands of the past and present and he has become a sought after and in-demand lead trumpet player that can be heard on television, in films, and award-winning recordings with iconic and world-class artists.

Bijon plays lead trumpet for the Grammy®-nominated Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, the Grammy®-winning John Daversa Progressive Big Band, the Grammy®-winning John Beasley’s Monkestra, José Rizo’s Jazz on the Latin Side All-Stars, the late Gerald Wilson Jazz Orchestra, and many other jazz, salsa, and pop bands throughout the United States. Most recently as coleader with pianist Steven Feifke, Bijon can be heard showcasing his talents as lead trumpet and featured soloist with their Grammy®-winning Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra.

Bijon’s recording and/or live performance and touring credits are vast and the short list includes iconic artists such as Natalie Cole, Michael Bublé, Justin Timberlake, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall, Michael Jackson, Arturo Sandoval, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Joe Williams, Queen Latifah, Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, Nicholas Payton, Rosemary Clooney, Steve Tyrell, Eric Benét, Jamiroquai, Prince, Barbara Morrison, Dianne Reeves, Nancy Wilson, Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan, Luis Miguel, Enrique Iglesias, The Temptations, and Gladys Knight.

On television, Bijon has performed on episodes of “American Idol”, “The Voice”, and “The Tonight Show”, as well as Grammy Awards shows, The BET Music Awards, and “Dancing With The Stars”. Bijon’s film appearances include appearing in the award-winning film “La La Land” and recording on several soundtracks with studios such as Paramount, Fox, and Disney, including “Epic”, “Despicable Me 2”, and “The Secret Life of Pets”.

As a classically trained musician, Bijon has had the opportunity to perform as a guest with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Los Angeles Opera, the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony, and the San Francisco Symphony. A dedicated educator, Bijon is a sought-after clinician who gives master classes and clinics to colleges, and high schools throughout the United States, and Europe, as well as maintaining a private lesson studio. Bijon is a Stomvi USA/Spain performing artist and performs on the VRII Custom Big Bell Bb Trumpet, the Titan 4-valve Bb Trumpet, as well as the Stomvi Titan Bb Flugelhorn, the Master C trumpet, and the Stomvi Elite Piccolo. Bijon also uses the Stomvi Flex Mouthpiece System.

BIJON WATSON’S WEBSITE

SEE BIJON PERFORM IN LA LA LAND