Yo Yo Ma and Bach Inspire Students

The Ensemble seeks to connect and inform all people who are committed to ensemble music education for youth empowerment and social change.

Yo Yo Ma and Bach Inspire Students

02-10-2019

Sometimes a vignette captures the essence of a core belief in our practice. Michael DePasquale, the Project/Personnel Manager for Encore! Sistema Québec in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, recently shared a story that celebrates the way that a learner’s seeing just the right performance—a particularly memorable, excellent one—can awaken the artist’s pathway.

Yo-Yo Ma came to Montreal in December 2018 as part of a worldwide tour to perform Bach’s Six Suites for Solo Cello, called “The Bach Project.” In each city, he and his team took part in a “Day of Action” to connect with local communities and “demonstrate culture’s power to create positive change.”

Yo-Yo Ma’s team made available a number of tickets to our students for his performance, along with details of his events around the city, open to the public. Some of our students attended the event with their families and were deeply moved and inspired by Mr. Ma, his incredible music making and humanity. One mother wrote the following to us:

“How to describe an ineffable experience? It was utter magic. One of the best nights of our lives. We had the surprise of our lives when Yo-Yo Ma walked into the church, spoke and played two pieces; the second a collaboration with an indigenous singer and percussionist. Infinite gratitude and appreciation to you, Michael. Kai played cello for an hour, then said ‘I think Michael somehow knew I’d discover my sound after seeing Yo-Yo Ma in concert. My sound became unlocked.'”