My 60th birthday with Yo-Yo Ma

I cannot believe I am writing about this today, but for my 60th birthday December 1, 1955, I am going to see Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott at the Palladium in Carmel, Indiana on November 18, 2015.  I must admit that my favorite musician of all of the entire time I have been on this earth is Yo-Yo Ma, and I will probably write more about that later.  But seeing Kathryn Stott is an absolute dream come true.  Ms. Stott and Mr. Ma have quite a connection over many years, and when you hear them play you can tell.

I am the proud owner of the Soul of the Tango CD.  Mr. Ma and Ms. Stott perform on the cd together.  I can only say when I was young, my high school teacher Katherine Lemon would always tell me to play like a man, during grand sections of many piano works, and I add that is how Kathryn Stott plays.  It is quite amazing.  

A pianist I admire, has even admitted to cleaning her house to the Soul of the Tango CD.  Though the piano and the cello are solo instruments, it is truly musically incredible, when the two instruments are put together.  Both Mr. Ma and Ms. Stott take their collaboration very seriously, and I can only predict, that November 18th is going to be one amazing evening of music.

Ms. Stott also performs with Mr. Ma on the amazing Paris -La Belle Epoque CD.  Ms. Stt is a Faure expert, and the Faure Sonata in A on this CD is quite amazing.  Take a look at her website www.kathrynstott.com and you can see all of the amazing CDs she has recorded.  I haven't purchased it yet, but I would love to buy her Chopin Favourite Nocturnes, in part because I have studied several of the Nocturnes and simply want to be inspired. Whenever a great musician plays a piece you have played, it allows you to see how much hard work is ahead of you.  Yet it also allows you to dream, even just for a moment, about the challenges, and whether the pianist had those same challenges.  Did this pianist find measure 37 for instance as difficult as you did?  Did this pianist ever take the score, throw it on the practice room floor and scream a loud Charlie Brown AAAAAAARGH!!!!!

In reviewing her website, I realized that she has partnered with Mr. Ma for 30 years, and that her 2015 concertizing celebrates that partnership.  She has also engaged in philanthropic efforts to raise money for HIV research and Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.  

I still have the ticket stub for a Yo-Yo Ma Concert I attended in the late 1990s.  I actually met him at a reception following the concert, and he was truly the same as he appears on television and in concert.  He was incredibly gracious, to his fans and so un-assuming.  It was a dream come true believe me.  I add that Yo-Yo Ma also celebrates his 60th birthday this year on October 7.  I wonder if he ever says to himself, so much music and so little time.   Or does he simply think, so much music, but I am going to continue to perform and make a difference every day, I am lucky enough to be here.

Well as pianists we can look at the two foregoing schools of thought when we look at the depth and breadth of the piano repertoire.  In any event, attending this concert is simply going to make me grateful!  I hope my seats are on the left side of the concert hall, so I can learn something about performing from Ms. Stott!