Performing with Yo-Yo Ma

Published May 15, 2026

Performing with Yo-Yo Ma

“I am a human first, a musician second, and a cellist third.” -Pablo Casals

On April 26, 2026, cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed with the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra. He shared this Casals quotation with the audience after his performance. He also embodies these words and changes the world by doing so. I know because I had the privilege and honor of being in the orchestra that night in Bellingham, Washington.

Filer image element — Yo-Yo Ma, Maestro Yaniv Attar, and the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra. Photo by Damian Vines.

Yo-Yo Ma and the entire experience transcended almost everything typical about playing an orchestra concert. I have believed for some time that he is the last household name in classical music. Certainly, there are many well-known, even famous, musicians in our field; but there is only one name that would be recognizable by the average person on the street.

His.

Even with, and largely because of, this fame he transcends all the normal trappings of a soloist playing a concerto with an orchestra. He is somehow pure music and pure humanity at the same time. Larger than life and completely down-to-Earth. The result of this magical alchemy is that it doesn’t simply make you want to tap your toe or hum a tune. It makes you want to be a better person.

When he walked on stage for rehearsal on the morning of the concert, even while wading through the orchestra on the way to his cello podium, he put the orchestra at ease by shaking hands and patting folks on the back. He quietly said a few words to the orchestra, and by the time he played the first chord of the Elgar Cello Concerto, we were all comfortable and focused on the task at hand. As is typical when a guest soloist appears with an orchestra, after running the piece, we went back and rehearsed a few tricky spots. But not so typical, he also talked to the orchestra about the human element of the piece.

Elgar composed the concerto after the carnage of World War I, trying to make some sense of man’s inhumanity to man. Yo-Yo shared this and then whispered that the piece is also about us, today. In that moment, the orchestra shifted from “we are playing with Yo-Yo Ma, don’t screw up” mode to “we have an important message to share with the audience tonight, and need to play our best to do that” mode. These are very different modes.

So how in the world does a smaller-budget, community orchestra in an out-of-the-way college town in the Pacific Northwest land the biggest fish in the classical ocean, and how in the world did a bassist from Reno find himself on-stage for this experience?

For the past several years, I have worked with the BSO on their strategic planning process and in doing so have connected with many of the remarkable folks in the organization. This relationship started when then BSO executive director (and later Reno Chamber Orchestra ED) Thom Mayes participated in the 2015 Essentials of Orchestra Management program, the faculty on which I have the privilege of serving. The BSO has done inspiring work as an orchestra that authentically serves and connects with its community.

Music director Yaniv Attar and current executive director Gail Ridenour (Essentials class of 2025) are committed and dedicated to fulfilling the BSO’s mission of engaging, connecting, and uplifting its community by performing powerful, beautiful, and inspiring music. Attar guest conducted the Reno Chamber Orchestra a few seasons ago, and it was a delight to perform with him then. He and Ridenour have suggested for some time that I come up, visit the community, and play a concert with the orchestra. Schedules never aligned to make this happen, but when it was announced that they would be playing with Yo-Yo Ma I sheepishly and shamelessly asked if this might be the performance when I finally join them. They very kindly said yes, and that is how I got to be part of the bass section that weekend.

That Yo-Yo happened to walk past me in the hallway as I was casing up my bass after rehearsal, crack the usually annoying but this time awesome “is that a cello?” joke, and then chat with me for a minute was icing on the cake.

The orchestra began in 1976 as the Whatcom County Bicentennial Orchestra—a pickup group to celebrate America 200. They had such a good time, the musicians decided to keep it going. Fifty years and a couple of name changes later, the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra shot for the moon (or more likely a different solar system) when thinking about how to celebrate half a century of music-making.

The BSO’s Harmony from Discord series began in 2016 to shine light on music from some of history’s bleakest moments that helped illuminate a path forward for humanity. Ridenour told me that she sent her proposal to the great cellist’s management as the BSO was planning its 2025-2026 season. She was politely informed that he is usually booked 3 to 5 years out and it is very unlikely this will happen. But Ma’s team had a planning meeting a couple days later and she would bring the idea forward. The noble concept of the Harmony from Discord program, coupled with the BSO’s compelling concert program* resonated deeply with Ma and he enthusiastically accepted the offer.

The Bellingham Symphony is a fine orchestra. Full stop. The folks in this band can play. As was true at its founding in 1976, many of its members are still volunteers and no one is paid a great deal, but the culture of commitment, friendship, and family in this group would be the envy of any full-time ensemble. The excitement around this concert built within the orchestra since the announcement last year that it would be happening, and by the time the day came the energy was palpable.

Yo-Yo Ma has probably played a million concerts in his life, but he made us all feel like he had never played a more important one. And although he has likely not played with a smaller-budget orchestra than this in the last 50 years, if ever, it seemed clear that this down-to-Earth person who happens to be a global superstar, enjoyed making music with down-to-Earth people in a very down-to-Earth situation. It felt really good.

Transcendent.

A couple weeks down the road from this experience, that’s the word I keep coming back to. It transcended a typical orchestra concert. It transcended playing a concerto with a fancy, out-of-town soloist. It transcended my expectations of what it would be like to play with the great Yo-Yo Ma. It reminded me that I am human first, a musician second, and a bassist third. I needed that and will be eternally grateful to Yo-Yo Ma and the Bellingham Symphony for this opportunity.

Scott Faulkner is principal bassist of the Reno Phil and the Reno Chamber Orchestra. For the League of American Orchestras, he is director of its Alumni Network and faculty director of its Essentials of Orchestra Management program. He is director of its Alumni Network and faculty director of its Essentials of Orchestra Management program. He has shared the stage with Yo-Yo Ma.

*The Bellingham Symphony’s April 26, 2026 program:

Brahms: Nänie for chorus and orchestra

Jonathan Leshnoff: Of Thee I Sing (commemorating the Oklahoma City bombing) followed without pause by JS Bach’s “Dona Nobis Pacem” from the B Minor Mass

Bellingham Symphony Chorus

Dr. Frederick Mabalot, director

Intermission

Elgar: Cello Concerto

Yo-Yo Ma, soloist