Among his many roles, Yo-Yo is as a UN Messenger of Peace, the first artist ever appointed to the World Economic Forum’s board of trustees, and a member of the board of Nia Tero, the US-based nonprofit working in solidarity with Indigenous peoples and movements worldwide. In addition to his work as a performing artist, Yo-Yo 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. He has premiered works by a diverse group of composers, among them Osvaldo Golijov, Leon Kirchner, Zhao Lin, Christopher Rouse, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Giovanni Sollima, Bright Sheng, Tan Dun, and John Williams. Through his work with Silkroad, as well as throughout his career, Yo-Yo Ma has sought to expand the classical cello repertoire, frequently performing lesser-known music of the 20th century and commissions of new concertos and recital pieces. It was this belief that inspired Yo-Yo to establish Silkroad, a collective of artists from around the world who create music that engages their many traditions. The Bach Project continues Yo-Yo’s lifelong commitment to stretching the boundaries of genre and tradition to explore music as a means not only to share and express meaning, but also as his contribution to a conversation about how culture can help us to imagine and build a stronger society and a better future. In August 2018, Yo-Yo began 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. Created for you himself.” The Denver Post He doesn’t make his music something to marvel at. It was fully human, perfect and imperfect at the same time, easy and difficult, marked by attempt and reward. It sounds superhuman, but it was just the opposite.
And certainly for the 62-year-old cellist, craftily coordinating fingers and bow over four thin strings, churning out hundreds of thousands of notes, all from memory.
It was a music marathon, certainly for the audience, who even at classical events is never asked to sit still for so long without an intermission.
Ma played all six of Bach’s unaccompanied cello suites with barely time to breath in between. No light show, none of those electric guitar riffs or drum solos that the rock ‘n’ roll sanctuary is known for, a hushed crowd. Picture it - if you weren’t one of the 9,000 people who witnessed the concert live Wednesday evening - one man, one cello, two hours and 15 minutes of Bach. “Even at Red Rocks, a show business landmark where spectacle is an everyday occurrence, an appearance by classical musician Yo-Yo Ma was an extraordinary event.
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