Yo-Yo Ma News

?The Grammy-nominated Ghazal Ensemble, the brainchild of Iranian kamancheh virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor and Indian sitar master Shujaat Husain Khan, and featuring acclaimed Indian percussionist Sandeep Das, return to New York City for a special 20th anniversary concert on Sunday March 22nd at 7:30pm at Pace University's Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts.

Award-winning architect Frederick Fisher, who has earned international recognition for his work with spaces such as Bergamot Station & Galleries, Santa Monica's Annenberg Beach House and Descanso Gardens' Sturt Haaga Gallery of Art, joins the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) for its acclaimed Westside Connections series, which this season pairs LACO's virtuosic musicians with leading artists to explore connections between music and architecture, on Thursday, March 19, 2015, 7:30 pm, at the Moss Theater, located at The Herb Alpert Educational Village at New Roads School. During the program, Fisher reflects upon his collaborative approach to architecture, in conversation with special guest, Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne. A performance of Brahms' breathtaking String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111, showcases the close collaboration among LACO Concertmaster Margaret Batjer, who curates and hosts the series, LACO Principals Sarah Thornblade, violin, Roland Kato, viola, Victoria Miskolczy, viola, and Andrew Shulman, cello. Batjer is also featured in Kevin Puts' Arches for solo violin, and Thornblade and Kato join forces for Donald Crockett's To Be Sung on the Water. The series, which began in February with a guest appearance by Frank Gehry, continues in April with Hawthorne. Fisher has been described as a “maverick architect…with a broad aesthetic” (KCET). His innovative style, and his residential, museum galleries and other buildings reflect his keen interpretation of space, light and material.

CHICAGO - American mezzo-soprano J'nai Bridges is one of 20 international finalists for the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 competition. Bridges, a third-year member of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, is currently portraying Vlasta in Lyric's mainstage premiere of Mieczys?aw Weinberg's The Passenger.

New York, NY – The Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) continues its 10th anniversary celebratory season with three concerts in April, reflecting BAC's expanded series of music programming for 2015. The weeklong celebration begins Monday, April 6 at 7:30pm, with one of BAC's signature events – a BAC Salon – in the Howard Gilman Performance Space, featuring the chamber music of Berio, Cage, and Mozart in an intimate salon setting. On Wednesday, April 8 at 7:30pm, composer and jazz pianist Stephen Prutsman will perform the entirety of his album Passengers for the first time ever, in another BAC Salon in the Howard Gilman Performance Space. The final performance of the week, on Saturday, April 11 at 8pm in the Jerome Robbins Theater, features the Latvian National Choir, hailing from BAC Artistic Director Mikhail Baryshnikov's birthplace of Riga and bringing to New York a program that includes music by Arvo Pärt, Grammy nominee Ugis Praulins, and the U.S. premieres of works by acclaimed Latvian composers Jekabs Janchevskis, Gundega Smite, and Raimonds Tiguls. The Latvian National Choir last appeared in New York as part of the 2010 White Light Festival at Lincoln Center, in performances The New York Times described as “ravishing.”

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Edo de Waart present de Waart Conducts Strauss this weekend, February 27-28, 2015 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) celebrates the 90th birthday of its Helen Regenstein Conductor Emeritus Pierre Boulez this month with several concerts that pay tribute to his life and work as a composer, conductor and mentor. The revolutionary and visionary musician turns 90 on March 26, 2015.

Conductor Long Yu announces 'the creation of an entire canon of new music, one of the most important projects in my life' - Compose 20:20

The World Music Institute continues its intimate Global Salon series with Echoes of the Divine: Jewish Women's Voices tonight, February 25, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the Talia Theater at Symphony Space.

The ancient Silk Road takes a new route through Heinz Hall tonight, February 25 when cello superstar Yo-Yo Ma and his music collective bring their unique program to Pittsburgh.

Today, February 24, Avital will release Vivaldi, his third album on DG that returns the instrument to its origins-the Venetian Baroque and master composer Antonio Vivaldi. On this release, Avital captures the mystical spirit of Venice, shedding new light on Vivaldi's musical genius by performing his own transcriptions of the composer's works, demonstrating the rock star status that he cultivated in his own time.

The New York Philharmonic, in collaboration with CAMI Music, will celebrate the Chinese New Year for the fourth consecutive year, this time welcoming the Year of the Sheep with a program of Chinese composers, musicians, and traditional instruments, celebrating the cultural heritage of China and honoring the Chinese-American community, tonight, February 24, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. Long Yu - music director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, artistic director and chief conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, artistic director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, and founding artistic director of the Beijing Music Festival - will return to the Philharmonic following his January subscription debut to conduct the Chinese New Year Concert for the fourth consecutive season.

In celebration of Black History Month, Associate Conductor for Education and Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras Artistic Director Ken Lam leads the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in a Family Concert Series program celebrating African-American Innovators, today, February 21 at 11 a.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Featuring the music of Duke Ellington and Heitor Villa-Lobos, the Baltimore City College Choir led by Director Marcus Smith, lends their voices for a collection of African-American spirituals, honoring the impact of innovation on our collective history. Entertainer Shannan E. Johnson narrates. Please see below for complete program details.

Nevada Ballet Theatre (NBT) announces a spectacular one-night only gala and performance in celebration of its beloved Co-Founder and Board Co-Chair Nancy Houssels. Featuring a dazzling variety of works and special guest artists, this jubilant celebration of dance will be presented today, February 21, 2015 at 7:30 pm at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Ticket prices begin at $29 (plus fees) and may be ordered by calling The Smith Center for the Performing Arts Box Office at (702) 749-2000 or by visiting www.nevadaballet.org.

The New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts (YPCs) continue today, February 21, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. with the program 'Orchestra Transformed,' the third in this season's series, SUPER SONIC MUSIC BOX, exploring the variety of symphonic music and its interpretation.

PITTSBURGH – It's going to get hot in Heinz Hall during the BNY Mellon Grand Classics: Stravinsky's Firebird on March 6-8.

'All Gone West,' a new play by John Attanas, transports us to the New York jazz scene of the early 50's. An Army vet, in love with a secretary at CCNY, would win her by setting up a be-bop club on Ninth Avenue with the help of a black saxophonist he has befriended in the service and a couple of low-lives he has met along the way. The couple's story is one of dreams dashed and fulfilled; love denied and embraced. The play features a cast of six plus a live, four-piece jazz ensemble. Jonathan Fluck, former Executive Director of IRT Theatre, will produce and direct the play's world premiere run March 28 to April 18, 2015 at Teatro Circulo, 64 East 4th Street (East Village).

The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma will perform alongside the New York Philharmonic, led by Alan Gilbert, for a celebration of the innovative world-music ensemble's 15th anniversary, tonight, February 19, 2015, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, February 20 at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, February 21 at 8:00 p.m.

Tony-Winning performer Patti LuPone takes the stage for an evening of Broadway favorites at Mayo Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 8 pm. Tickets are $49-89.

Join Brett Gelman (Dinner With Friends With Brett Gelman and Friends) for his new special Dinner With Family With Brett Gelman And Brett Gelman's Family.