Screenshot via Instagram.
Virtuoso cello Yo-Yo Ma “I wanted to give something back” after receiving his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in Pittsfield, Ma., Then he spent the 15-minute observation period necessary to track down allergic reactions by giving a free show.
Ma is a part-time resident of the city of Western Massachusetts and received her doses of vaccine at Berkshire Community College. The Berkshire Eagle reported that he “sat along the wall of the observation area, masked and socially distanced from others”, before starting to play for a grateful audience, grateful for the saving vaccines and for the beautiful music that filled 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, people who waited 15 minutes in observation were honored with the musical talents of the one and only Yo-Yo Ma. ”
Posts by the world-famous cellist quickly went viral, with Ma’s name being a national trend on Twitter on Saturday night.
It was far from the first time that Ma used his music to cheer others up during the pandemic. He is a pianist Emanuel Ax held a series of pop-up concerts on the back of a truck for rescuers and essential workers last fall, and Ma tweeted videos of himself playing during the pandemic with the hashtag #SongsOfComfort.
The first #SongsOfComfort post was, in which the Eagle called “poetic circumstance”, exactly a year ago on Saturday.
In these days of anxiety, I wanted to find a way to continue sharing 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.
Do you have a tip that we should know? [email protected]