Welcome, Yo-Yo Ma!
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Yo-Yo Ma teaches students in the Fredonia College Symphony during Wednesday's rehearsal. |
Yo-Yo Ma, one of the most recognizable names in classical music today, will call SUNY Fredonia home Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Arguably the most recognized name in classical music today, and clearly the foremost cellist in the world, he will perform with the Fredonia College Symphony Orchestra on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. The event, which sold out within 48 hours of its announcement last May, is also serving as a scholarship benefit for SUNY Fredonia’s renowned School of Music.
In addition, Mr. Ma will be leading a master class for SUNY Fredonia’s students on Wednesday, Dec. 7, giving them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from and perform with one of the greatest musicians in any genre of any era.
Yo-Yo Ma has been a cultural beacon for decades. He has performed at the Oscars, Grammys and Olympics, as well as the inauguration of President Barack Obama, among his many career highlights. He was just honored by President Obama at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., this past weekend for lifetime achievement in the performing arts, an event that will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 27.
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Yo-Yo Ma works with Professor of Cello Natasha Farny and her 13-student Cello Ensemble during a master class held Wednesday evening. |
“We are very excited to be able to host Yo-Yo Ma at SUNY Fredonia,” said Karl Boelter, director of the SUNY Fredonia School of Music. “The entire campus, including faculty and students, has worked very hard for this opportunity. The fact that he is willing to come here to not only perform for but also interact with our students says a lot about who we are, and about who he is, as one of the most consummate artists in the world today.”
Strongly committed to educational programs that bring young audiences into contact with music and allow them to participate in its creation, Ma works to connect music to students’ daily surroundings and activities with the goal of making music and creativity a vital part of children’s lives from an early age.
Ma will take the stage in King Concert Hall on Thursday evening to perform Dvorák’s beloved Cello Concerto with SUNY Fredonia’s College Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. David Rudge. The program will begin with Strauss’ Overture to Die Fledermaus and Elgar’s Enigma Variations. His Master Class will take place at the same location on Wednesday evening. Both events are sold out.
