Yo-Yo Ma Goes Viral After Turning COVID Vaccine Waiting Period Into a Concert

Yo-Yo Ma, arguably the most famous cellist in the world, gave an impromptu performance on Saturday [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Yo-Yo Ma, arguably the most famous cellist in the world, gave an impromptu performance on Saturday after he received his second dosage of a coronavirus vaccine at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The 65-year-old's act of kindness was recognized quickly on Twitter, with photos of him performing during the 15-minute observation period going viral. It also reminded Twitter users of Ma's #SongsofComfort series at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ma "wanted to give something back," Richard Hall of the Berkshire COVID-19 Collaborative told the Berkshire Eagle. So Ma said in a specially marked observation area and socially distanced from others. He played his cello for the entirety of the 15-minute period and got applause from the audience. Hall said it was a "very special" concert to end the vaccination event. "What a way to end the clinic," Hall said.

Berkshire Community College managed to get part of the performance on video, so they shared it on Instagram and Facebook. "[Ma] is always a classy act [in the Berkshires]," Massachusetts state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli tweeted. "Bringing hope and optimism through his beautiful music."

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Coincidentally, Ma got his second vaccination shot on the one-year anniversary of his first #SongsOfComfort post. Just as the pandemic began, Ma started sharing videos of himself performing classical pieces to help ease music lovers' minds. "In these days of anxiety, I wanted to find a way to continue to share some of the music that gives me comfort," Ma wrote. His first video featured Antonín Dvořák's "Going Home."

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Ma is one of the most celebrated musicians in the world, with 18 Grammy Awards and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. He is also a UN Messenger of Peace and was among TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people of 2020. In his essay for TIME, Stevie Wonder praised all Ma has done to lift spirits during the pandemic. "Soon the hashtag was populated with performances by James Taylor, Carole King, the Indigo Girls, and many more artists," Wonder wrote. "Ma brought them together to bring us together. Every time he shares his music, it is a master class in love."

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Ma is a part-time Pittsfield resident. In September, he began performing pop-up concerts for essential workers alongside musician Emanuel Ax. "The intention was really to give a gift to the Berkshires community," Carrie Holland, the managing director of Mill Town Capital, which helped organize the concerts, told the Eagle. Holland said some of the workers were in tears during the shows. "You couldn't quite see the smiles behind the mask, but you could see it in their eyes," Holland said.

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"Not me tearing up at the video of Yo-Yo Ma after getting his second vaccine dose," one Twitter user wrote. "I love Yo-Yo Ma's giving spirit - he's such a beautiful soul," another commented.

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"I had the pleasure of working with Yo-Yo Ma and he is a very gracious person. This story makes me happy," one person wrote. "I would simply burst out in tears if I had just gotten a shot and then got to hear Yo-Yo Ma," another chimed in.

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"This is so uplifting. Yo-Yo Ma is amazing," Harvard professor Xihong Lin wrote. "Feeling the need to state this for the 80th time: Yo-Yo Ma is a f—ing national treasure. A gem of a human and an artist of historic proportions. Feel lucky to be alive at the same time as this gentleman," another fan wrote.

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