This performance is a part of the BRIC Project, which brings together Ma’s collaborators and friends from Brazil, Russia, India and China.
Ma began playing the cello at the age of five, graduated from Juilliard School and Harvard University and has since received 18 Grammy Awards.
Joining Ma onstage will be pianist Kathryn Stott, guitarists Sérgio and Odair Assad, violinist Johnny Gandelsman, sheng player Wu Tong and tabla player Sandeep Das, according to the press release.
Managing Director of IU Auditorium Maria Talbert said this performance will be the first time anyone in the world has seen the collaborations Ma has scheduled.
“Seeing this performance is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for both students and the public,” Talbert said in an email. “We are humbled and honored to be chosen for such an incredible event.”
According to a press release, these “Big Four” countries are all at similar stages of newly-advanced economic development. This creates a contrast in each country between ancient tradition and modern civilization, and the contrast is what Ma and his collaborators express through music in this project.
As well as the concert, Ma and collaborators will give a presentation titled “Musical Perspectives on Culture” this morning at the School of Global and International Studies.
Talbert said Ma’s passion for educating the public about the global connections between the arts, culture, economics and politics will be the theme of the presentation as well as the theme of the performance.
“Mr. Ma is one of the foremost musical icons in the world, and his focus on education and celebrating global connections dovetails beautifully with the sentiments surrounding the inaugural year of IU’s new School of Global and International Studies,” Talbert said.
Tickets for the performance are $38 to $62 for the general public and $20 to $41 for students.
Tickets can be purchased at the IU Auditorium box office or online at iuauditorium.com.
