Arts
Boston’s mayor played a duet with the world-famous cellist as part of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Celebrity Series.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma shared the stage Friday night at Symphony Hall for a duet.
Wu joined Ma to perform “Ave Maria,” an 1853 piece by French composer Charles Gounod based upon German composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Prelude No. 1.” Ma’s concert, which consisted of six unaccompanied cello suites inspired by Bach, was held as part of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Celebrity Series.
“It was the honor of a lifetime to perform with one of the greatest musicians in the world, @YoYoMa, last night at Boston Symphony Hall,” Wu said in an Instagram post. “Music is such a powerful way to share an experience — to feel a sense of our connection, our common dreams, and our common destiny.”
As Ma played the cello, Wu joined him on piano, weaving Bach’s delicate arpeggios with Gounod’s stable melody. The mayor is no stranger to playing Symphony Hall, having performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2023 and the Boston Pops in 2024.
The concert was also broadcast live across Massachusetts through a simulcast hosted by Tanglewood Learning Institute, a music conservatory in Stockbridge.
“Boston is blessed to be a hub of arts and culture, and the stage at Boston Symphony Hall has been graced by so many who light up the entire world and set an example and inspire,” Wu said on Instagram. “So thank you to Yo-Yo Ma and @celebrityseries for spreading the magic of music, community, and art and for inviting me to join in this beautiful evening.”
Watch Wu and Ma’s duet below:
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