Yo-Yo Ma Cuts the Ceremonial Ribbon as DePauw Opens 'Music on the Square'

June 8, 2015

"This space is designed to be the launching of a musical communiversity," said Mark McCoy, dean of the DePauw University School of Music, as he stood outside 21 N. Indiana Street on Greencastle's courthouse square this afternoon. The new space, Music on the Square, "is an opportunity for the community and the university to come together in some really interesting ways."

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the space was held this afternoon, with acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma handling the prop scissors. Ma, who is at DePauw for Silkroad's inaugural Global Musician Workshop, which began today. After the official ceremony, which took place outdoors, wrapped up, the crowd moved indoors to see the new space and enjoy a brief performance by the world renowned Ma.

McCoy says the new space will serve as a preparatory department where lessons for local residents, especially children, can be held. It is also designed to be a community space which can host kindermusic and "Mommy and Me" music classes. And evening mini-courses will be taught on the square, the first of which may be "Opera and Wine."

The new program is part of the 21^stCentury Musician Initiative (21CM), which was launched in October 2013 gift with a $15 million from Judson and Joyce Green ('74 & '75) . 21CM is aimed at transforming the DePauw University School of Music -- Indiana’s oldest and one of the nation’s first -- to meet the needs of students who are entering a rapidly changing music industry. The first of its kind, 21CM is a complete re-imagining of the professional music school curriculum and student experience with the aim to create flexible, entrepreneurial professionals prepared for the challenges of today’s music world.

"We're very excited about what this represents and what it can represent, because of the power of music, the power of music to influence our lives," Judson Green said this afternoon. He calls Music on the Square "an opportunity to bring the city and the University together, to be one, and to grow together. "

As part of the Global Musician Workshop, which DePauw is hosting, the public is invited to three public performances this week, detailed in this article.

Yo-Yo Ma spent a two day residency at the School of Music in September 2011. Video is embedded below.