Raffi Chilingirian on participating in Silkroad's Global Musician Workshop in Boston

As an Armenian duduk player, I was one of 60 musicians who got accepted into Silkroad’s one-week Global Musician Workshop, a program started by world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

In August 2022, 60 musicians from 24 different countries arrived in Boston and lived together, rehearsed, laughed, cried, learned from each other, jammed together and performed together at the New England Conservatory’s acoustically and esthetically amazing Jordan Hall.

I was the only Lebanese and the only Armenian who was part of this fascinating program. I’ve never had this kind of global experience before in my life, playing alongside folk and classical musicians from Mongolia, China, Japan, Columbia, Spain, India, Iran and many more!

The program was intense. We had two band rehearsals in the morning and two in the afternoon; throughout the day, there were workshops, meetings and meals. Each musician was placed within three bands. There was only one break in the afternoon just before dinner, and after dinner, we had special activities like folk dancing and themed jam sessions.

This year, the participants were given the chance to give electives to their peers. These electives ranged from Persian classical music and Nordic fiddle tunes, to traditional Mongolian music, Spanish Navarre Jota and Dagara Gyil music from Ghana. Open mic performances featured the duduk, erhu and tabla/harmonium and a mandolin/bass duo.

One night, the faculty gave an amazing concert for the people of Boston, and the crowd was thrilled!

On Thursday and Friday nights, all of us musicians in 16 different bands performed the musical pieces we had prepared throughout the week.

We also sang and played “Wonderful Land” by Bassam Sabaa, as a tribute to his life and legacy. Bassam was the director of the Lebanese Conservatory before he passed away from Covid complications.

This was indeed a very unique global experience for me with lessons that I will forever remember and cherish.

My travel and participation in this very unique educational experience were possible through the grant that I received from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

I would highly recommend young musicians, from all walks of life, to take a leap of faith and apply to such amazing life-changing global opportunities. I would be of assistance to whoever needs any guidance.