Radio Station Airs Lengthy DePauw Interview with Yo-Yo Ma

November 19, 2017

"Cellist Yo-Yo Ma is probably the closest thing there is to a rock star in the world of classical music," notes Bloomington, Indiana's WFIU. "He appears on over 100 albums (including 18 Grammy Award winners), and he’s performed all over the world with everyone from pianist Emanuel Ax to mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile to Kermit the Frog.Ma’s multi-faceted career demonstrates his desire to find new ways to communicate with audiences and to promote global awareness and cultural understanding by exploring musical forms outside the Western classical tradition."

The public radio station continues, "We got a chance to catch up with Yo-Yo Ma during a recent visit to DePauw University where he opened this year’s Green Guest Artist Concert Series with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. His visit was presented as part of an educational program at DePauw: '21st-Century Musician Initiative.' Ma serves as honorary chair of that initiative. While in Greencastle, he took a few minutes out of a jam-packed schedule to speak with WFIU’s Music Director Joe Goetz."

The 59 minute conversation with Ma and Maria Pomianowska, leader of the ReBorn ensemble, is available at the station's website.

Yo-Yo Ma was at DePauw in September (as seen in the photos accompanying this article).  His latest visit included a season opening concert of the Green Guest Artist Series with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. During his stay, he asked, "What’s creativity? There’s the theory and the practice. DePauw is taken really seriously as one of the leaders in the country on an issue that’s tough to discuss and bring to the table in a serious way. What I love about what this does is when you do something really, really well, it transcends the form itself."

The world renowned cellist first performed at the Green Center in 2011 as part of DePauw Discourse. In June 2015, after cutting the customary ribbon at the opening of the music school’s downtown venue, Music on the Square, Ma christened the space with a poignant, impromptu performance of the first movement of Bach’s first Cello Suite -- the first piece of music that he ever learned.

Source: WFIU (NPR)/Bloomington, Ind.

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