Yo-Yo Ma Performs at BYU to Celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the University and the 100th Anniversary of the College of Fine Arts and Communications (CFAC).
On Feb. 24, world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed at BYU. BYU students and community were awestruck by Ma’s performance and the opportunity to watch the artist perform live.
Yo-Yo Ma discovered his exceptional gift for the cello at a young age, and studied at both Juilliard and Harvard. The Paris-born cellist has released over 100 albums, won multiple Grammys and performed across the globe. In 2006, Ma was recognized as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
Lyndsay Keith, the producer of the BRAVO! series and the person responsible for booking artists to perform, wanted BYU’s 2026 performances to reflect the university's milestones. While a typical booking takes up to three months, securing Yo-Yo Ma took more than a year due to the cellist’s popularity.
“It was worth the wait! I knew that I wanted someone legendary to help us celebrate BYU's sesquicentennial and the CFAC's centennial,” Keith said. “Mr. Ma was a perfect fit.”
Ellie Wirthlin, a junior studying cello performance at BYU, attended the concert and joined the Honors String Quartet for a performance during the after-concert reception.
“Yo-Yo Ma has been my favorite cellist ever since I was young. It was amazing to be able to afford to see him in person with the generosity of BYU,” Wirthlin said. “When I was eight, I dressed up as him, and I wore a little tuxedo. I did a whole report on his education, his cello and what makes him such a great performer.”
Wirthlin is a member of the BYU Honors Quartet, an audition-based scholarship quartet at BYU. The group performed in the lobby after the concert while guests conversed and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres.
Wirthlin describes Ma’s performance as captivating, flawless and inspiring.
“He played an hour and a half of solo cello music,” Wirthlin said. “He played a range of repertoire, including pieces by a South African cellist and composer Caroline Shaw.”
Between pieces, Ma shared stories and the significance of each composition. Several works he performed included “The Box” by Roddy Ricch and “Cello Suite” and “Sixth Cello Suite” by Johann Bach.
Sam Walker, a member of the BYU Men’s Chorus, was stunned by the performance.
“I think an appropriate word to describe it is ‘magical,’” Walker said. “Ma involved the crowd in the concert. For one piece he played, we ended up singing with him.”
After the performance, Ma high-fived the front row, including Walker.
Ma’s performance reminded Wirthlin of music’s power to heal and connect people from different backgrounds and cultures.
“Music can be a universal language and cross boundaries that are otherwise hard to break, ” Wirthlin said. “He plays a lot of music by underrepresented composers and helps marginalized communities.”
Walker found Ma’s musical performance inspiring and motivational. The musician has spent nearly his entire life perfecting his cello technique.
“He is a role model of how to be successful and find something that you really love and stick with it,” Walker said. “Music can motivate us and help us accomplish great things.”
Enjoy musical concerts at BYU to hear talented artists and be inspired. To learn more about future BRAVO! Performances, visit onstage.byu.edu/bravo.