Performance Information

“Bach’s music touches us. It reconnects us to our common humanity.” – Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma comes to Washington Performing Arts at the National Cathedral as part of a two-year journey that will bring Bach’s complete solo cello suites to a limited number of locations on six continents. It is a journey motivated not only by the music’s significance in his life—it is among the very first he ever played—but also by Bach’s ability to speak universally. In Ma’s own words: “We live in a world of boundless possibility, but we also face daunting challenges, even to our very survival. I believe that during times of stress, confusion, and insecurity, we should share sources that offer comfort, purpose, and meaning. Bach does that.” Writing in the New Yorker last year, critic Alex Ross proclaimed Ma’s Hollywood Bowl performance of the Bach suites “the loveliest experience of my listening year,” adding, “It was as if music had stilled the world.”

Also at this event, the Library of Congress will present a display of treasures and manuscripts relating to J.S. Bach and Yo-Yo Ma’s career.

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