Hailed by Yo-Yo Ma as the “ideal musician of the 21st Century”, Mike Block is a pioneering multi-genre cellist living in New York City. Mike is the singer, cellist and composer for the Mike Block Band, which features a unique mixture of original songs and instrumentals drawing upon multiple genres. In addition to the MBB, Mike performs with the Triboro Trio featuring contemporary arrangements of traditional and new folk music from around the world. He also performs in a duo with Chinese Pipa virtuoso Yang Wei, and a trio with Suphala (tabla) and Hadi Eldebeck (Oud). ** While studying at the Juilliard School, Mike joined Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble as its youngest member, and upon graduation in 2006, joined Grammy Award winner Mark O’Connor in his Appalachia Waltz Trio. Mike also plays in Darol Anger's Republic of Strings, the Absolute Ensemble, Sirius String Quartet, YMusic, and the New York Arabic Orchestra. ** As a composer, Mike’s pieces have been performed at the Bremen MusikFest, Tribeca New Music Festival, and the MATA Festival in addition to his compositions for the MBB. This season, the Kimmel Center will premiere a work by Mike with the Absolute Ensemble through its new music series Fresh Ink. ** Mike also co-created Kreol, a software that turns your computer into a musical instrument that you play by typing www.KreolMusic.com. More detailed info about Mike and his activities can be found at www.BlockBlockBlockBlock.com.