After getting the vaccine at the US gym, “Can I turn on the cello?” It was Yo-Yo Ma [영상]

On the afternoon of the 13th (local time), which was Saturday, the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) vaccination was in full swing at the gymnasium of Berkshire Community College, Massachusetts, USA. Sweet music suddenly flowed between the busy medical staff and the tense residents. The world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, 66, started playing quietly in the gym.

Foreign media such as the Washington Post (WP) reported on the news of Yo-Yo Ma’s surprise performance on the 15th (local time). Reportedly, Yo-Yo Ma went to the gym for a second dose and turned on the cello for citizens who were waiting to observe the progress for 15 minutes after getting the injection. The songs he sang on this day were Bach’s unaccompanied cello suite No. 1 Prelude and Schubert’s Avemaria.

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma plays the cello at the Massachusetts vaccination site on the 13th. AFP=Yonhap News

Leslie Drager, who was in charge of the vaccination site, told WP, ​​”When he started the performance, the inside of the gym became quiet.” “After getting the vaccine, he asked if he could turn on the cello and went to the wall,” said nurse Hillary Barshara who gave Yo-Yo Ma an injection. When the performance was over, the citizens expressed their gratitude with applause, and Yo-Yo Ma also responded by placing his hand on his chest.

Yo-Yo Ma once presented music to those who were tired of Corona 19 even on March 13 last year, just a year ago. On his twitter, he shared a video of Antonin Dvorak’s symphony’From the New World’ of the 2nd movement’Going Home’. It was two days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the corona19 pandemic. He even put on the hashtag’#SongsOfComfort’.

Yo-Yo Ma said he wanted to share a way to make people’s minds more comfortable with music in the era of Corona 19. AFP=Yonhap News

When major performing and arts institutions around the world began to close, Yo-Yo Ma thought about how to heal and comfort people. He also wrote on Twitter, “I want to find a way to share music that comforts us in today’s anxious times.” Last fall, he rode a truck with pianist Emanuel Ax to perform a guerrilla performance for medical staff and rescuers fighting Corona 19.

Yo-Yo Ma, a Chinese-American, was born in Paris, France in 1955. From the year he turned 4, he learned musical instruments such as violin and cello from his father, and showed his talent and entered the Juilliard School at the age of 7. Since then, he has grown into a world-class cellist, collaborating with major orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic, and released 90 albums. He has been awarded the Grammy Award for 18 times.

Yo-Yo Ma, a Chinese-American, organized the’Silk Road Ensemble’ to exchange Eastern and Western music. Central photo

Yo-Yo Ma is also interested in cultural exchanges between East and West, and in 1998 formed the’Silk Road Ensemble’, a non-profit cultural organization by gathering performers from over 20 countries in the Silk Road region, including Korea, China, and Mongolia. Traditional instruments such as Korean Janggu, Spanish Gaita, and Japanese Sakuhachi were used to play.

Reporter Kim Sun-mi [email protected]