These days, Ma, now 62, is larger than
life. The 18-time Grammy winner, Presidential
Medal of Freedom winner and global
humanitarian has become arguably the
-
cian in the world.
When he steps onto the stage of the Bob
Carr Theater to perform Brahms’ Double
Concerto in A minor for cello and violin with
the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, it will
Central Florida.
Ma, alongside violinist Colin Jacobsen,
older brother of Music Director Eric Jacobsen,
will co-headline the orchestra’s 25th Anniversary
Concert, which is slated for May 8 at the
arts center’s satellite venue. Showtime is 8
p.m. and tickets are priced starting at $100.
The celebratory concert will likely have
passed by the time you read this edition
of ArtsLife — but the focus on Ma remains
-
lando’s classical music scene ever since the
younger Jacobsen became the orchestra’s
musical director three years ago.
featuring Ma — Jacobsen’s musical mentor
— marked the culmination of the orchestra’s
yearlong silver anniversary celebration.
“These are the two people who are my
20 artsLife | SUMMER 2018
idols — my brother and Yo-Yo Ma,” Jacob-
can he possibly do for an encore?
For one thing, he’ll continue to channel
Ma’s expansive musical worldview during
the orchestra’s 26th season — which runs
from September 2018 through April 2019.
FAIRWINDS
two concerts each in the Pops Series. Performances
will take place at the Bob Carr
concerts at The Plaza Live theater, where
the orchestra is headquartered. Summer
programs will be announced later.
Ma won’t be among the performers in
the coming season. But the inclusiveness he
champions — and passed along to Jacobsen
— will be on full display.
AN EXPANSIVE WORLDVIEW
-
ican musicians to become part of the Silk
Road Ensemble, a cutting-edge collective of
a dozen musicians that Ma brought together
in 1998 to foster global, cross-cultural artistic
collaboration — particularly between East
and West.
The project is named after the historic Silk
Road, an ancient network of trade routes
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma will join violinist Colin Jacobsen, older brother of Eric Jacobsen, music director, to
headline the orchestra’s 25th anniversary concert on May 8. That concert may be over by the time you
read this issue of ArtsLife. But Ma’s influence will continue during the orchestra’s upcoming season.
PHOTO BY JASON BELL (YO YO MA)