Mike Block

Mike Block is a pioneering cello player, singer, composer, and educator affiliated with the New England Conservatory (NEC) as a faculty member since 2018 and as Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music since 2012. He is celebrated for his cross-cultural collaborations through music, including membership in Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and founding the Mike Block String Camp and Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop.

His research and educational interests include

• Multi-genre cello performance
• Creative cross-cultural music education
• Use of innovative tools like The Block Strap

He has performed with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Yo-Yo Ma, and Julian Lage, and authored Contemporary Cello Etudes.

Scientific awards include

• Grammy Award (2017) for the Silk Road Ensemble’s album Sing Me Home
• Jim Hall Prize for Undergraduate Achievement

As an innovator, Block developed a patented cello strap to enable standing performances. He also teaches online via ArtistWorks.com and has performed on Broadway and in Hollywood films, contributing to music consultation for A Late Quartet (2012).