Taliesin Preservation is pleased to announce a two-part concert series with Grammy Award-winning singer and cellist Mike Block.
A pioneering multi-style cellist, singer, composer and educator, Block was still studying at the Juilliard School when he joined Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, with which he has toured extensively throughout the world and won a 2017 Grammy for Best World Music Album.
As a child, Block was torn between becoming a musician or an architect. He was particularly inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, and would research properties to visit whenever his family was traveling. Even though his love of music eventually took over his life, Block is excited to finally combine his two interests of music and architecture in the non-traditional performance venues of the Taliesin Hillside Theater and Living Room. House concerts can be the most intimate of experiences a musician can share with an audience, and it will be a particularly special experience for performer and audience alike to experience Block’s multi-style musical performances in these one-of-a-kind spaces.
At 7 p.m. May 17, Block will perform a family-friendly concert at the Hillside Theater that is free for students and just $15 for adults. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Advanced registration is required at taliesinpreservation.org; limit 100 people.
At 6 p.m. May 18, the concert in the Taliesin Living Room will begin with a welcome drink in Wright’s Drafting Studio before guests transition to the living room for a hour-long solo performance followed by a wine and beer reception with the artist. Advanced registration and $75 tickets required at taliesinpreservation.org; limit 35 people.
Block’s passion for education and architecture has sparked his collaboration with Taliesin Preservation. With a generous grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board and the Spring Green Area Arts Coalition, Taliesin Preservation is also hosting middle school music students from River Valley and Dodgeville school districts for a music workshop with Block held at the Wyoming Valley Cultural Arts Center on May 17.