March 01, 2012

Renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and his Silk Road Ensemble will perform in concert on March 3, to celebrate Hong Kong City Hall’s 50th anniversary.
 
Meeting reporters ahead of the event, Ma - who was born in Paris to Chinese parents, and moved to New York at the age of five - said he sees Hong Kong as one of his homes.
 
“Hong Kong is the city where my mother was born. So it has particular resonance for me. Lots of family are still in the area,” he said.
 
“Home” is one of the central themes of his upcoming concert. His Silk Road Ensemble is made up of musicians, composers and performing artists from more than 20 countries. In sharing traditions from various cultures, the group develops and performs new music and multimedia pieces, exploring and expanding contemporary musical crossroads.
 
“We often like to go to different members' homes because this is what makes friendship and musical connection deeper,” Ma said.
 
“We don't only go to people's physical homes, but we can go to people's psychological homes, emotional homes, childhood homes…Through images and sounds that can almost reveal a world, you can … transcend time and space into many different homes. And when we present them on stage, we feel that the people and audience can connect.”