Special music events surround Yo-Yo Ma’s visit to Greencastle Sept. 26-Oct. 1

Monday, September 25, 2017
The DePauw School of Music invites the community to participate in the many communitywide music offerings this week in association with Saturday’s Green Guest Artist concert by Yo-Yo Ma, including a free screening of the award-winning film “The Music of Strangers” and a concert by Launch competition winners, 9 Horses, at Music on the Square.
Courtesy photo

The performance Putnam County residents have long been anticipating — when legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma returns to town to open the 2017-18 Green Guest Artist series — is happening this week.

Although the 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30 concert by Ma has already sold out, several exciting musical events will herald the renowned artist’s return to Greencastle, including DePauw Film Studies’ free screening of “The Music of Strangers,” the award-winning film about the founding of Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble (Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.), and the inaugural Launch Competition Winner’s Concert by 9 Horses at Music on the Square (Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m.).

Here’s the lineup for this week’s festivities:

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Film Studies Screening: “The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble”

• 7 p.m. -- Pre-screen performance by Eric Edberg

• 7:30 p.m. -- Free film screening, Green Center, Thompson Recital Hall

Cellist Eric Edberg will warm up the audience with a performance of Bach’s “Prelude in G,” as well as discuss the special relationship Yo-Yo Ma has with the DePauw and Greencastle community, before the screening of “The Music of Strangers.”

Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville’s feature-length documentary tells the extraordinary story of the renowned international musical collective created by legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma, focusing on the journeys of a small group of Silk Road Ensemble mainstays. Through these moving individual narratives, the filmmakers paint a vivid portrait of a bold musical experiment and a global search for the ties that bind.

Co-sponsored by DePauw School of Music and Asian Studies.

Thursday, Sept. 28

Launch Competition Winners’ Concert: 9 Horses

• 7:30 p.m. -- Music on the Square, 21 N. Indiana St.

DePauw School of Music is thrilled to present 9 Horses in performance at Music on the Square. Winner of the inaugural 21CM Emerging Artist Competition, this eclectic band of extraordinary musicians brings together the genre-hopping original compositions of leader Joe Brent (mandolin), the formidable improvisations of Sara Caswell (violin) and the artistic fluency of Andrew Ryan (bass).

Friday, Sept. 29

Pop-up Performance: Members of Chicago Civic and DePauw University Orchestras

• 6:15 p.m. -- Hoover Hall and Stewart Plaza

Hear members of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and DePauw University Orchestra collaborate on a daring performance of Brandenburg III. (There may even be a surprise visit by Yo-Yo Ma.)

Saturday, Sept. 30

Green Guest Artist Concert: Yo-Yo Ma and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago — Sold out Edwin Outwater, conductor

• 8 p.m. -- Green Center, Kresge Auditorium

A promoter of global awareness and cultural understanding and a virtual rock star in the classical music world, the internationally revered cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago will open DePauw’s 2017-18 Green Guest Artist Concert Series.

Presented as part of the School of Music’s 21st-Century Musician Initiative, for which Ma serves as honorary chairman, the performance marks this phenomenal artist’s third appearance at DePauw.

Sunday, Oct. 1

Community Music Day

• 10:30 a.m. -- Greencastle and DePauw University

Members of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago will join with DePauw music students to present a Community Music Day in Greencastle. Tentative locations for these performances are:

Asbury Towers ~ Debussy Harp/Viola/Flute Trio; Woodwind/Piano Mozart Quintet

Holton Quad ~ Percussion Quartet

Gobin Memorial Church ~ Tchaikovsky strings and Faure/Schubert chamber orchestra

Music on the Square ~ Dvorak Strings and Brass Chamber Group

First Christian Church ~ Civic String Quartet and Asbury String Quartet

All events, other than the sold-out concert on Saturday night, are free and open to all to attend.

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