On Saturday, April 13, acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma will perform selections from Johann Sebastian Bach’s solo cello suites on the riverfront at Tres Laredos Park [west of Gateway to the Americas International Bridge (Bridge I)]. The 9 a.m. event is free and open to the public.
Ma’s visit to the Sister Cities is part of “The Bach Project,” the two-year initiative he launched last summer to play all six Bach cello suites at one sitting in 36 cities on six continents. Each performance is followed by A Day of Action.
His Day of Action in Laredo and Nuevo Laredo follows a performance the evening prior in San Antonio.
Following his performance on the riverbanks, Ma will travel to Nuevo Laredo for a 10 a.m. conversation with local artists and cultural leaders, listening to their observations on culture and how it has shaped their lives and how they hope it shapes the future of their community. The conversation takes place at Estación Palabra in Nuevo Laredo. The event is not open to the public.
He will perform a selection from Bach’s cello suites at Plaza Juarez before returning to Laredo.
Ma will be at the Laredo Center for the Arts from noon to 1:30 p.m. to hear from city leadership and community seniors in an exchange about Laredo’s unique cultural history and their expectations for the future. The event is not open to the public.
A “Pachanga at the Park” follows at Tres Laredos Park from 2 to 7 p.m. with musical performances by UISD and LISD student orchestras, the TAMIU Chamber Orchestra, the TAMIU Mariachi, and the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO).
At 3:30 p.m. Ma is scheduled to participate in the LPO’s performance of Rhapsodia del Río, an original composition by TAMIU organist Colin Campbell.
The Pachanga includes art demonstrations; dance performances; slam poetry readings; and the Río Grande International Study Center’s (RGISC) Fourth Annual Earth Day Fest.
RGISC invites the community to celebrate with a half-mile bi-national kayak sprint on the river, a Wagon Float Parade, a Walk to End Extinction, Wildlife Zumba, Yoga, vendor booths, interactive eco-stations, games and activities, and a special message from Ma about the Day of Action.
The event is free and open to the public. Motorists can access the park via Santa María Avenue. Parking is available at the Outlet Shoppes. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnic items.
About the Bach Project from bachyo-yoma.org:
It is a journey motivated not only by his six-decade relationship with the music but also by Bach’s ability to speak to our common humanity at a time when our civic conversation is so often focused on division.
The project brings the music to iconic locations such as the National Cathedral in Washington, DC; the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig; and Red Rocks Amphiteatre in Colorado. Alongside each day of action, a series of conversations and collaborations that explore how culture can help us imagine and build a better future. #cultureconnectsus
