Boston, September 20, 2025
News Summary
Yo-Yo Ma will perform the complete suites for solo cello by Bach for the first time in one evening at Symphony Hall in Boston. This significant concert, titled ‘We the People: Celebrating our Shared Humanity,’ is scheduled for November 21, 2025, and will include a simulcast available for free at 16 venues across Massachusetts. The event aims to foster community connection and engage diverse audiences in culture and conversation.
Boston — Yo-Yo Ma will perform Bach’s complete suites for solo cello for the first time in one evening at Symphony Hall in Boston, in a concert scheduled for November 21, 2025. The performance, billed as a major solo recital, will be the cellist’s first time presenting the full set of suites in a single evening and will include a city-stage presentation and a state-wide simulcast.
Key details
The concert, titled “We the People: Celebrating our Shared Humanity,” is scheduled for November 21, 2025. This performance will also be Ma’s first-ever simulcast and will be offered for free at 16 different venues across Massachusetts. Admission to simulcast venues will be on a first-come, first-served basis, with doors opening at 7 p.m.
Simulcast and locations
Venue locations for the simulcast range from North Adams to Cape Cod, including various libraries and cultural organizations. Some named simulcast sites include Rabb Hall at the Boston Public Library, Foundry in Cambridge, Newton Free Library, and more. The simulcast will also reach underserved communities, including women’s shelters and homeless shelters, to broaden access beyond traditional concert venues.
Context and purpose
The Symphony Hall presentation and the statewide simulcast are organized as part of a program framed around community connection and cultural engagement. The performance at Symphony Hall on November 21, 2025, marks a significant personal invitation from Ma to celebrate community and connection through music. The concert is presented as a way to create shared space for listening and reflection while engaging attendees in broader cultural conversations.
Artist history and project background
Yo-Yo Ma has previously performed with the Celebrity Series in Boston since 1980 and most recently performed with pianist Kathryn Stott in April 2024. The upcoming program follows a long-running engagement with the music of J.S. Bach; In 2018, he began the Bach Project, which involved performing Bach’s cello works globally over two years. The November 2025 date continues the artist’s interest in presenting canonical works in ways intended to reach wide and varied audiences.
Artistic and social aims
The presentation is described as more than a musical performance. Ma emphasizes that the concert exemplifies how culture helps seek truth, build trust, and act in service to the community. Organizers frame the event as intended to encourage reflection and civic engagement: He aims to create a shared space for connection, reflection, and imagining a better future through this performance. The concert is also positioned as a means to support ongoing conversations about culture and community, with the concert also serves as a platform to engage with important cultural conversations and inspire action among attendees.
Ongoing commitment
The event aligns with long-standing efforts by the artist to use music for broader social purposes. This initiative reflects Ma’s ongoing commitment to using music as a means for social change and communal healing. The simulcast plan, the selection of diverse sites across Massachusetts, and the outreach to shelters are practical steps intended to increase access and impact.
Logistics and public access
The in-person performance will take place at Symphony Hall in Boston on November 21, 2025. Simulcast venues across Massachusetts will admit attendees on a first-come, first-served basis, with doors opening at 7 p.m. The simulcast will be offered for free at 16 different venues across Massachusetts, with locations ranging from North Adams to Cape Cod and including public libraries and cultural organizations.
What to expect at simulcast sites
Simulcast venues will show the Symphony Hall performance live and are intended to serve a range of audiences, including those in underserved settings. Admission and seating policies at each simulcast site may vary according to local rules and capacity limits; the general policy for simulcast entry is first-come, first-served, with doors opening at 7 p.m.
FAQ
When and where is the concert?
The concert, titled “We the People: Celebrating our Shared Humanity,” is scheduled for November 21, 2025.
What will Yo-Yo Ma perform?
Yo-Yo Ma will perform Bach’s complete suites for solo cello for the first time in one evening at Symphony Hall in Boston.
Will the concert be available outside Symphony Hall?
This performance will also be Ma’s first-ever simulcast and will be offered for free at 16 different venues across Massachusetts.
How will admission to simulcast venues work?
Admission to simulcast venues will be on a first-come, first-served basis, with doors opening at 7 p.m.
Where are the simulcast venues located?
Venue locations for the simulcast range from North Adams to Cape Cod, including various libraries and cultural organizations.
Can you name some simulcast locations?
Some of the simulcast locations include Rabb Hall at the Boston Public Library, Foundry in Cambridge, Newton Free Library, and more.
Will the simulcast reach underserved communities?
The simulcast will also reach underserved communities, including women’s shelters and homeless shelters.
What is Yo-Yo Ma’s history with Boston and this repertoire?
Yo-Yo Ma has previously performed with the Celebrity Series in Boston since 1980 and most recently performed with pianist Kathryn Stott in April 2024.
How does this relate to Ma’s past projects?
In 2018, he began the Bach Project, which involved performing Bach’s cello works globally over two years.
What is the intended purpose of the concert?
The performance at Symphony Hall on November 21, 2025, marks a significant personal invitation from Ma to celebrate community and connection through music.
What message is the concert meant to convey?
Ma emphasizes that the concert exemplifies how culture helps seek truth, build trust, and act in service to the community.
What does Ma hope to achieve with the event?
He aims to create a shared space for connection, reflection, and imagining a better future through this performance.
How does the concert fit into broader goals?
The concert also serves as a platform to engage with important cultural conversations and inspire action among attendees.
What broader initiative does this relate to?
This initiative reflects Ma’s ongoing commitment to using music as a means for social change and communal healing.
Quick reference table
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artist | Yo-Yo Ma |
| Program | Bach’s complete suites for solo cello |
| Date | November 21, 2025 |
| Main venue | Symphony Hall in Boston |
| Simulcast | Offered for free at 16 different venues across Massachusetts |
| Admission at simulcast sites | First-come, first-served; doors open at 7 p.m. |
| Simulcast range | From North Adams to Cape Cod; includes libraries and cultural organizations |
| Named simulcast locations | Rabb Hall at the Boston Public Library; Foundry in Cambridge; Newton Free Library; and more |
| Community outreach | Includes women’s shelters and homeless shelters |
| Related projects | Bach Project (began in 2018); long history with Celebrity Series in Boston since 1980 |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
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Interlochen Arts Academy Unveils 2025-26 Performance Season
Additional Resources
- TheaterMania: Yo-Yo Ma
- Boston Globe: Yo-Yo Ma’s Sold-Out Bach Performance
- Bachtrack: Yo-Yo Ma Review
- Boston Globe: Music’s First Responder – Yo-Yo Ma
- Google Search: Yo-Yo Ma
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