PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Newly vaccinated Massachusetts residents were treated to a mini concert over the weekend when famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma brought out his instrument after getting his second coronavirus shot.
A masked-up Ma took a seat along the wall of the observation area Saturday at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield and played for about 15 minutes to applause from the other attendees.
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The renowned musician, who lives part-time in the area, said he “wanted to give something back," The Berkshire Eagle quoted Richard Hall of the Berkshire COVID-19 Vaccine Collaborative as saying.
The quick concert came exactly one year after Ma started posting recordings of himself using the hashtag #SongsOfComfort on social media in an effort to ease anxiety throughout the early days of the pandemic.
“I wanted to find a way to continue to share some of the music that gives me comfort," the cellist wrote on Twitter on March 13, 2020.
Since then, Ma has also played surprise pop-up concerts and live-streamed virtual concerts for essential workers and first-responders.
Massachusetts state Rep. William Pignatelli responded to a video posted on social media of the surprise show and praised Ma for bringing people "hope and optimism through his beautiful music.”