Yo-Yo Ma News

One of the great singers of her generation, renowned for her extraordinary voice and musical versatility, American opera singer and recitalist Jessye Norman has been chosen as The Twelfth Glenn Gould Prize Laureate.  Throughout her career, the sheer size, power and luster of her voice has shared equal acclaim with that of her thoughtful music-making, innovative programming of the classics, and fervent advocacy of contemporary music.  More than forty years after making her operatic debut, Jessye Norman continues to maintain a busy performance schedule, now concentrating on recitals and concerts.

Grammy Award winner, five time Grammy Award nominee andinternationally acclaimed kamancheh (spiked fiddle) virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor returns to theSchimmel Center on Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. following last season's sold-out performance. This year, Kalhor has invited long-time collaborator and Turkish baglama (lute) master Erdal Erzincan for their first concert together in New York since 2006 . 

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra announces its 25th Anniversary Gala Celebration, featuring a kaleidoscope of live performances highlighting music and programs of the Orlando Philharmonic, an elegant cocktail hour, a fabulous three-course dinner, a live auction, and dancing at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 5 at the Hilton Orlando, 6001 Destination Parkway, Orlando. Attire is Black Tie.

NYU Skirball will present the New York premiere of Love Heals All Wounds, an evening-length work by MAI (Movement Art Is), choreographed by Lil Buck and Jon Boogz, on Saturday, April 14 at 3 and 7:30 pm. Love Heals All Wounds features the intricate and urban choreography of Lil Buck and Jon Boogz, the stirring words of spoken word artist Robin Sanders, and an all-star cast of movement artists. The piece addresses social issues such as police brutality and violence in America while seeking to promote diversity, inclusion, and empathy as a uniting force.

Choreographer Meg Stuart presents the U.S. premiere of Until Our Hearts Stop, on Friday, May 4 or Saturday, May 5 at 7:30 pm. 

Yamaha Artist Services New York announced that Lara Downes has joined the company's impressive roster of artists. 'We are delighted Lara has chosen Yamaha pianos and keyboards to be her partner on the concert stage, in the recording studio and for all her musical adventures for many years to come,' said Bonnie Barrett, director of Yamaha Services.

New episodes of Poetry in America will be on public television stations nationwide starting the first week of April and running throughout the Spring.(Check local listings as some stations will debut the series at other times during the spring.)

This spring, Grammy Award-winning mezzo Susan Graham revisits her signature interpretation of Ravel's Sheherazade in performances with the San Francisco Symphony under Yan Pascal Tortelier (April 19-21). She then makes her title role debut in Marc Blitzstein's Regina at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (May 26-June 24), in a production that marks the 30th anniversary of her company and leading-role debuts. After three glorious decades at the highest echelons of the opera world, there is still, as the New York Times put it, "no more satisfying singer than this eminent mezzo-soprano, with her rich, even voice, exquisite musicianship, and warm presence."

Individual concert tickets for The Cleveland Orchestra's 2018 Blossom Music Festival 50th Anniversary Season go on sale Tuesday, May 1 at 9:00 a.m., online at clevelandorchestra.com, by telephone (216-231-1111), and in person at the Severance Hall Ticket Office. 

Pianist Murray Perahia has cancelled his spring tour, including his recital performance with the University Musical Society (UMS) scheduled for Sunday, April 22 at 4 pm at Hill Auditorium, due to illness.

CU Presents is proud to present another specially curated lineup of music, opera, dance and theatre for 2018-2019 (see a list of events below). Season ticket sales begin Monday, April 2 at 10 a.m., and single tickets are available beginning Monday, Aug. 20. Tickets are available at cupresents.org or over the phone at 303-492-8008.

The Orlando Philharmonic presents an evening of collaboration of art and music with Brahms Symphony No. 1 at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 7 at Bob Carr Theater, 401 West Livingston Street, Orlando, FL.

The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia (UBC) presents Australia's bold contemporary circus company, Circa, with their exhilarating performance Opus on April 28, 2018 at 8pm in the Chan Shun Concert Hall. Since forming in Brisbane, Australia in 2004, Circa has become an international sensation, being called to perform in more than 35 countries. In Opus, 14 acrobats-some of whom will be suspended from the Chan Centre ceiling-will perform gravity-defying feats as they interact with the four musicians of France's esteemed Debussy String Quartet. This genre-defying work pushes the boundaries of 'nouveau cirque' to the stirring music of Dmitri Shostakovich.

Over 200 musicians return to the Lincoln Theater stage for a rare performance of Beethoven's two most unusual and innovative works, the famed Triple Concerto and Choral Fantasy. Maestro Michael Guttman and Symphony Napa Valley will be joined by cellist Jing Zhao, pianist Nikolay Khozyainov, and the combined voices of Sing Napa Valley, St. Helena Chamber Singers, and Napa Valley College Chorale under the direction of Ragnar Bohlin. Symphony lovers who attended the Brahms Requiem last season will not want to miss this exciting performance on Saturday, April 14th at the Lincoln Theater.

Grammy Award-winning The Silk Road Ensemble with world renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma arrive at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Wednesday, April 19 at 8:00PM.

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra announces its 2018-2019 Season today, including five concerts on the FAIRWINDS Classics Series, and five programs of two concerts each on the Pops Series, with all performances taking place at Bob Carr Theater. The Focus Series includes five concerts that take place at The Plaza Live Theater. Summer programming will be announced at a later date.

Having launched their 2018 programme with Dai Fujikura Portrait, Avex Classics International return to the renowned Wigmore Hall on Saturday 2nd June with an exciting second recital. This special concert will feature an all Rachmaninov programme performed by Rachmaninov Specialist and multi award-winning cellist Yuki Ito with acclaimed pianist Sofya Gulyak. This will be the first time that Wigmore Hall has presented an all-Rachmaninov programme on cello.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Society Limited today announces that Michael MacLeod, since April 2011, will retire at the end of March 2019 after eight years in the position.

The music of composers Joel Feigin and Camden Boyle will be performed by singers and instrumentalists on Friday, April 6 @ 7:30 PM at Marc A. Scorca Hall of The National Opera Center, 330 Seventh Ave., 7th floor in Manhattan.

On Friday, June 1, 2018, CAP Records releases To Brahms, with Love: From the Cello of Pablo Casals, featuring Israeli-American cellist Amit Peled in Brahms' Cello Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2, accompanied by pianist Noreen Polera. Peled can be heard performing on the 1733 Pablo Casals Goffriller cello, which was personally loaned to him by Maestro Casals' widow, Mrs. Marta Casals Istomin. Casals performed Brahms' F Major Sonata No. 2 for the composer himself, and recorded the Brahms Sonatas on the Goffriller cello in the 1930s.