YO-YO MA – THE BACH PROJECT
August 24, 2019 - 8:30 pm

YO-YO MA
YOHAN SEBASTIAN BACH
SIX SUITES FOR UNACCOMPANIED CELLO

Yo-Yo Ma is considered to be he greatest cellist in the world and his multi-faceted career is testament to his enduring belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding. Whether performing new or familiar works from the cello repertoire, collaborating with communities and institutions to explore culture’s role in society, or engaging unexpected musical forms, Yo-Yo Ma strives to foster connections that stimulate the imagination and reinforce our humanity.

YO – YO – MA

His discography of over 100 albums reflects his wide-ranging interests. This year, he begins a new journey, setting out to perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Six Suites for Solo Cello” in one sitting in 36 locations around the world, iconic venues that encompass our cultural heritage, our current creativity, and the challenges of peace and understanding that will shape our future. Each concert will be an example of culture’s power to create moments of shared understanding, as well as an invitation to a larger conversation about culture, society, and the themes that connect us all.

Throughout his illustrious career he has received numerous awards, namely 19 Grammy Awards and has performed for eight American presidents, most recently at the invitation of President Obama on the occasion of the 56th Inaugural Ceremony.

Yo-Yo Ma maintains a balance between engagements as a soloist with orchestras, recital and chamber music activities, and collaborations with a wide circle of artists and institutions. With partners from around the world and across disciplines, Yo-Yo Ma creates programs that stretch the boundaries of genre and tradition to explore music-making as a means not only to share and express meaning, but also as a model for the cultural collaboration he considers essential to a strong society.

Expanding upon this belief, in 1998 Yo-Yo Ma established Silkroad, a collective of artists from around the world who create music that engages their many traditions. This collective has seen him sell out performances in venues such as Suntory Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. Through his work with Silkroad, as well as throughout his career, Yo-Yo Ma seeks to expand the classical cello repertoire, frequently performing lesser known music of the 20th century and commissions of new concertos and recital pieces. He has premiered works by a diverse group of composers, among them Osvaldo Golijov, Leon Kirchner, Zhao Lin and John Williams, to name a few.

In addition to his work as a performing artist, Yo-Yo Ma partners with communities and institutions from Chicago to Guangzhou to develop programs that champion culture’s power to transform lives and forge a more connected world. Among his many roles, he is the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant;

artistic director of the annual Youth Music Culture Guangdong festival and UN Messenger of Peace. He is the first artist ever appointed to the World Economic Forum’s board of trustees.

FACEBOOK VIDEOS

• YO-YO-MA Live at byblos