Fairfax Symphony Orchestra with Yo-Yo Ma at Center for the Arts at George Mason University

Program: Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1 Yo-Yo Ma, cello Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6

“The best-known, most versatile music soloist in this country and perhaps in the world” (The Washington Post), cellist Yo-Yo Ma joins the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) to perform Shostakovich’s defiant Cello Concerto No. 1. With over 120 albums and 19 Grammy Award wins, Ma’s extraordinary career is a testament to his belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding. “Ma is that rarest of players... whose mastery and influence are so all-encompassing that he casts a shadow across the very concept of the instrument itself” (Arts ATL).

The FSO, under the esteemed direction of Christopher Zimmerman, presents an all-Shostakovich program in celebration of the 120th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Experience the powerful and deeply expressive music of Dmitri Shostakovich, whose works reflect the tumultuous history of his time. “The FSO routinely does more than most regional orchestras dare...” (The Washington Post).