Cello great Yo-Yo Ma set to play Cape Town

Ma will perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s six Cello Suites for unaccompanied cello without intermission. The Cello Suites, composed around 1717 to 1723, are some of the most recognised cell compositions in classical music.

The performance is a part of Ma’s two-year Bach Project that started in August 2018. He aims to play the six Cello Suites for solo cello 36 times on six continents.

The project is motivated by Yo-Yo Ma’s six-decade relationship with the 300-year-old music as well as its ability to speak to common humanity at a time when civic conversation is focused on division.

“We live in a world of boundless possibility but we also face daunting challenges, even to our very survival,” Yo-Yo Ma said.

“I believe that during times of stress, confusion, and insecurity, we should share sources that offer comfort, purpose and meaning. Bach does that. When his music touches us, it reconnects us to our common humanity.”

Ma, who has won 18 Grammys, has previously performed at Odeon of Herodes Atticus on the Acropolis in Athens, the ancient Huaca Pucllana in Lima, the Sydney Opera House and Millennium Park in Chicago, among many others.

In each concert, Ma and his team partner with artists, culture makers, cultural and community organisations, and leaders from various sectors to create conversations and collaborations.

In Cape Town, the Bach Project will explore how culture helps us to find truth, build trust and act in service of one another.

Tickets to the event can be purchased here.