WATCH: After Getting Second Covid Shot, Yo-Yo Ma Plays His Cello For Vaccine Clinic
Screenshot via Instagram.
Cello virtuoso Yo-Yo Ma “wanted to give something back” after receiving his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in Pittsfield, Ma., so he spent the 15-minute observation period required to screen for allergic reactions giving a free concert.
Ma is a part-time resident of the Western Massachusetts town, and received his vaccine doses at Berkshire Community College. The Berkshire Eagle reported that he “took a seat along the wall of the observation area, masked and socially distanced away from the others,” before beginning to play for an appreciative audience, grateful for both the lifesaving vaccines and the beautiful music filling the room.
The college shared several photos and videos of Ma’s performance on their social media accounts, writing “Today at the #MyBCC vaccination clinic, the folks waiting for 15 minutes in observation were graced with the musical talents of the one and only Yo-Yo Ma.”
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Posts of the world-famous cellist quickly went viral, with Ma’s name trending nationally on Twitter Saturday evening.
It was far from Ma’s first time using his music to bring cheer to others during the pandemic. He and pianist Emanuel Ax gave a series of pop-up concerts from the back of a flatbed truck for first responders and essential workers last fall, and Ma has tweeted videos of himself playing throughout the pandemic with the hashtag #SongsOfComfort.
The first #SongsOfComfort post was, in what the Eagle called “a poetic bit of circumstance,” exactly one year ago Saturday.
In these days of anxiety, I wanted to find a way to continue to share some of the music that gives me comfort. The first of my #SongsOfComfort: Dvořák – “Going Home”
Stay safe. pic.twitter.com/S28w6OlXiZ
— Yo-Yo Ma (@YoYo_Ma) March 13, 2020
This post has been updated with additional information.
