WATCH: Falling Out Of Time: A Conversation With Osvaldo Golijov And The Silkroad Ensemble

Three years ago, renowned composer Osvaldo Golijov sat down on a park bench in Tel Aviv to read David Grossman’s "Falling Out of Time." Part play, part poem, part fable, the book narrates a journey “out of time” as parents grieve the death of their child, a quest to comprehend a loss with no name.

Golijov’s exquisite and nuanced interpretation of the story portrays a musical, mythical walk that traverses vast and varied emotional landscapes to finally arrive at a place where breathing is again possible. Drawing on Grossman’s powerful text, Golijov has conceived this song cycle for 13 artists of the Silkroad Ensemble, the collective whose delicacy of musical expression he describes as like “a harp of a thousand hairs.” The piece is scored for three voices, electronics, string quintet, kemanche, percussion, pipa, sheng and trumpet.

Here & Now co-host Robin Youn joined Golijov for an immersive conversation about "Falling Out of Time" with excerpts of the work performed by artists from the Silkroad Ensemble.

About Osvaldo Golijov

Considered one of the most important contemporary classical composers of our time, Osvaldo Golijov is known for his ability to combine varied musical genres, from Latin American and Spanish popular genres to computer music, into a personal style which successfully connects with audiences. The rich mix of influences and creativity featured in his work has earned him a unique place in contemporary repertoire as well as numerous accolades, including two Grammys for opera "Ainadamar" and the coveted MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellowship in 2003.

Golijov is the Loyola Professor of Music at College of the Holy Cross, where "Falling Out of Time" is set to world premiere on October 31.

About Silkroad

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 traditions 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.

The Grammy award-winning Silkroad Ensemble has been at the core of Silkroad’s work to build a more hopeful and inclusive world since 2000.   Click here learn more about Silkroad.

The Silkroad Ensemble

Shawn Conley, bass
Nicholas Cords, viola
Nora Fischer, vocals
Jeremy Flower, electronics
Johnny Gandelsman, violin
Kayhan Kalhor, kemancheh
Karen Ouzounian, cello
Shane Shanahan, percussion
Mazz Swift, violin
Wu Man, pipa
Wu Tong, vocals, sheng
with guests
Dan Brantigan, trumpet
Biella Da Costa, vocals

Event in partnership with Silkroad, WBUR's The ARTery and Boston University's College of Fine Arts.