This November, Yo-Yo Ma will perform Bach’s complete suites for solo cello for the first time in one evening at home, in Boston. It’s music that he has offered to communities on all six continents, in moments of joy and in times of tragedy. For him it exemplifies how culture helps us to seek truth, build trust, and act in service.

This is more than a concert for Yo-Yo: it is an invitation to listen to each other and the world around us, to celebrate our community and the ways in which people all over the world—and here in Massachusetts—are bringing us together, creating shared space for connection, reflection, and action, and imagining a better future.

Live broadcast, one night only

Enjoy a live simulcast of the event as it happens, from the Newton Community Stage at the Lincoln-Eliot School, located at 15 Walnut Park. Hear every note and get an up-close view of Yo-Yo Ma’s artistry.

People across Massachusetts will come together in libraries, theaters, and community spaces to enjoy a powerful, uplifting evening of music, free of charge and for one night only. 

Celebrate the power of connection, reflection, and imagination: join friends and neighbors for this must-see live broadcast! 

Admission to simulcast events is free, and seating is on a first-come, first-admitted basis. We encourage you to arrive early to the event, with doors opening at 7pm.

Arrive early to enjoy a community book swap! If you would like to participate in the book swap, we recommend arriving between 7-7:15. Bring 1-5 books (in good condition) to swap--you'll get to take home the same number of books as you bring.

Program

J.S. Bach | Suites 1-6 for unaccompanied cello, BWV 1007-1012
Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007
Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008
Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009
Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major, BWV 1010
Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011
Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012

Yo-Yo Ma

Cellist

Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding. Whether performing new or familiar works for cello, bringing communities together to explore culture’s role in society, or engaging unexpected musical forms, Yo-Yo strives to foster connections that stimulate the imagination and reinforce our humanity.

Most recently, Yo-Yo began Our Common Nature, a cultural journey to celebrate the ways that nature can reunite us in pursuit of a shared future. Our Common Nature follows the Bach Project, a 36-community, six-continent tour of J. S. Bach’s cello suites paired with local cultural programming. Both endeavors reflect Yo-Yo’s lifelong commitment to stretching the boundaries of genre and tradition to understand how music helps us to imagine and build a stronger society.

Yo-Yo Ma was born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris, where he began studying the cello with his father at age four. When he was seven, he moved with his family to New York City, where he continued his cello studies before pursuing a liberal arts education.

Yo-Yo has recorded more than 120 albums, is the winner of 19 Grammy Awards, and has performed for nine American presidents, most recently on the occasion of President Biden’s inauguration. He has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of the Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize. He has been a UN Messenger of Peace since 2006, and was recognized as one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.

Registration is encouraged, and you'll get a reminder if you sign up. Walk-ins are also welcome. Please note that this event takes place at the Newton Community Stage at 15 Walnut Park.

Streamed live from Symphony Hall, Boston

Presented by Celebrity Series of Boston

Produced by Celebrity Series and THE OFFICE performing arts + film in collaboration with Opus 3 Artists and Sound Postings, the office of Yo-Yo Ma.

We the People is made possible by Barbara & Amos Hostetter and the Barr Foundation with additional support provided by the Richard K. Lubin Family Foundation.