Yo-Yo Ma's musical mission comes to Hawaii

Nov. 27—The great cellist and humanitarian Yo-Yo Ma, the world's foremost ambassador of his instrument, its traditions and perhaps of music in general, comes to the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell on Thursday to perform the popular Bach cello suites.

The great cellist and humanitarian Yo-Yo Ma, the world's foremost ambassador of his instrument, its traditions and perhaps of music in general, comes to the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell on Thursday to perform the popular Bach cello suites.

The concert represents one of the final steps in "The Bach Project, " a series of 36 performances of the 18th-century masterpiece, representing the 36 dance-inspired pieces that comprise the six suites. Thirty-four of the concerts, staged in all continents except Antarctica, have been held since Ma's project launched in 2018. The project, which in other sites has included community discussions on the arts, conservation and other topics, began as a way to "explore and celebrate the ways that culture can make the unfamiliar familiar, its ability to create connection where it's needed most, " Ma wrote in an email.

Ma, 67, has commanded the world stages since childhood. In his television debut at age 7, he performed for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower and was introduced by maestro Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein had heard of Ma from the legendary cellist Pablo Casals, who upon hearing the young prodigy play, told him, "You should also always go play baseball, " his way of advising the youngster to have fun and retain his sense of humanity while pursuing a career in music.

"Most people think of me as being a cellist, but the human being part for Casals was the most important thing, " Ma recalled in an interview with Bloomberg Markets and Finance more than 50 years later. "That was something I always thought about."

With a voracious appetite for music of all genres, Ma has taken his instrument far beyond the European classical tradition, recording albums of tango, Brazilian and Appalachian music. His Silk Road Ensemble popularized music of the ancient land route linking Europe with Asia by featuring Asian and Middle Eastern instruments playing alongside Western orchestral instruments. He even played the blues on public television's "Sesame Street." His albums have won 19 Grammys, and he's won every major award imaginable for an artist, from honorary music degrees to a Kennedy Center Honor and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

He has performed several times in Hawaii, although not in recent years. His email revealed a deep appreciation for local culture, especially in its respect for nature.

"There's a Hawaiian idea that has stayed with me since I first heard it, the understanding that the 'earth is our canoe, ' that we must protect this planet as we would any vessel on which our survival depends, " Ma wrote. "I think this exemplifies the ways that Hawaiian culture reminds us of our deep connections and responsibility to one another, and to the land and to the sea ; it's a way of living that I believe the rest of the world can learn from as we strive to create a better future for our children and grandchildren.

"It is deeply moving to see how Hawai 'i has fought to protect these values ; I hope that my time in Hawai 'i might, in its small way, celebrate the ways that these are principles that we can all turn to as we work to towards a better ­future for humanity."

Local musicians have cherished memories of Ma. Hawai 'i Symphony Orchestra clarinetist Jim Moffitt recalls a 1986 performance with the old Honolulu Symphony Orchestra in which Ma first performed Dvorak's challenging "Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, " then joined orchestra for the rest of the concert. "All of a sudden, there he was in the back of the (cello ) section, " Moffitt said.

Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro collaborated with Ma in a recording of John Lennon's "Merry Xmas (War Is Over )" for the 2008 album "Yo-Yo Ma and Friends : Songs of Joy and Peace " and remembers the experience as "a dream come true." Ma flew him out to his home in Cambridge, Mass., for the recording.

"He was the first one to greet me when I walked through the door, and he gave me a big hug. He made me feel like we had known each other for years, " Shimabukuro said. "We recorded our track live, so we sat right next to each other, read from the same music stand. Just sitting next to him in the control room, there was this joyous spirit and positive energy."

Josh Nakazawa, a cellist for the ­Hawai 'i Symphony Orchestra, grew up in the Boston area and heard Ma play several times. "I ­remember one of my very first concerts was seeing him play at (Harvard University's ) Sanders Theatre in Cambridge, " he said. "He was one of the reasons I started playing (cello.)"

Nakazawa played in a youth ­orchestra with Ma's daughter. Ma would often come by and encourage the young musicians, he said. "He was just so sweet, so humble and so supportive, " said Nakazawa, who has developed an online course for beginning cellists using a prelude from the Bach suites.

"He's kind of like the 'go-to' if I'm learning a piece, like 'How does Yo-Yo do it ?'" Nakazawa said. "I think it's because I just love everything he does."—Seating at the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell is sold out. Only lawn tickets, $15 to $20, are available. Visit myhso.org for more information.