Mike Block

Mike Block is a multi-style cello player, composer, singer, and educator, with a passion for cross-cultural collaborations. Hailed as “one of the bravest, most intriguing musicians on the American fusion scene.” (Gramophone), he was acclaimed by the New York Times for his "vital rich-hued solo playing”, and “a true artist... a sight to behold” by Salt Lake City Desert News. In addition to solo performances, Mike touring bands include Biribá Union, Mike Block Trio, duo with Indian tabla player Sandeep Das, and a West-African fusion band with Balla Kouyaté. Since 2005, Mike has been a member of the Silk Road Ensemble, founded by Yo-Yo Ma, with which he earned a 2017 Grammy® Award.

As an innovator, Mike is among the first wave of cellists to adopt a strap to stand and move while performing using his own patented design, The Block Strap, and is the Musical Instrument Consultant for Forte3D, the world’s first 3D-Printed carbon fiber cello. In 2020, Mike founded Play For The Vote , which organizes musical performances at polling locations across the country on Election Days, with the goal of creating a more positive voting experience.

As an educator, Mike is dedicated to creating transformative experiences, and is the Founder/Director of the Mike Block String Camp in Vero Beach, FL, Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop in Boston, MA and Hangzhou, China, and teaches over 400 cello students online through his Multi-Style Cello School at ArtistWorks.com. Since 2018 he has been on faculty at the New England Conservatory.