Cellist to Cellist

Was it any surprise that the themes of kindness, openness, and selfless giving ran throughout Continuo: The CelloBello Legacy Gala? The November event, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, celebrated the remarkable achievements of Paul Katz’s CelloBello, as well as its bright future in alliance with CMA.

The acquisition of CelloBello, one of the world’s leading online resources for classical music education, “will ensure the preservation of Katz’s extraordinary pedagogical legacy while expanding its reach nationwide,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Kevin Kwan Loucks. “And it marks a truly transformative milestone for our organization.” Nancy and Richard Lubin served as honorary chairs of the event; The Richard K. Lubin Family Foundation made a generous leading gift for the CelloBello Legacy Fund, established to ensure the continuation of CelloBello’s mission and programs as part of CMA’s education and artistic learning portfolio.

Such a moment called for extraordinary music, with the cello as its focus. Yo-Yo Ma opened the program with an unforgettable solo performance—an Americana medley, followed by Bach’s Cello Suite no. 6. He was then joined by the Balourdet Quartet for two movements from Schubert’s String Quintet in C Major. Later, three cellists from the Boston Symphony Orchestra—Blaise Déjardin, Alexandre Lecarme, and Mickey Katz—took the stage with Ma to play a selection that included Massenet’s “Méditation” from Thaïs, and the beloved Catalan song “El cant dels ocells” (“Song of the Birds”).

The communal joy that began with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and extended through dinner—that spirit of kindness and giving—was set in motion by a morning conversation between Ma and Katz, old friends who share common passions and missions.

Paul Katz: Yo-Yo, what do you think developing cellists need most from us today? And is that different than when you were a student musician?

Yo-Yo Ma: You know what? Nothing’s changed. I think every musician wants to find their voice. They’re trying to figure something out, and then they want to find out how to use their voice. And for that, they need to know about the world—what the world really is, how they fit in the world, and then how their voice is needed. I think that’s always been the purpose of musicians. You’d agree, wouldn’t you?

PK: Yes, but, as a teacher, it is actually not so self-evident to kids. All they want to do is practice, and they don’t always take time to care about the world. Yet they need to learn about the world. A better person makes a better musician. And if you’re going to give meaning to your music, you’ve got to know why you’re a musician.

Yo-Yo Ma performs with the Balourdet Quartet at Continuo: The CelloBello Legacy Gala. Photo: Hilary Scott.

YYM: I’ve known you for a long time, and I think you’ve always found meaning in music, in whatever stage of life you were going through. Can you take me through how that meaning may have changed as you have evolved from one stage of life to another?

PK: Well, you’ve kind of got me there; I don’t know.

YYM: I know you’re joking, because I know that what we are doing this evening reflects a passion that you’ve had for many years. Through the years, you’ve written me and you’ve told me how hard you’ve worked to put CelloBello together—gathering cellists from all different parts of the world, of all ages, to try and get the essence of what they do through masterclasses, through interviews, and through old films, which I love. And you want this to go on because you think this is worthwhile. But you didn’t think that way when you were 20.

PK: No, but I’ve always thought about the idea that, if I’m going be a musician, I have to give myself permission to be a musician, in the sense that—why be a musician, when there’s so much need in the world for so many things? So the idea of using music to bring people together, to give something to your audience, that’s transitory but it’s also meaningful; you enrich a person through music.

YYM: Have you ever had conflict with that? Did you ever think that you want to give up music to do something that you felt answered a greater need?

PK: Yes. I actually have thought about that quite a bit.

YYM: And what have you thought of doing?

PK: I don’t know… a social worker? A teacher? Teaching is something that’s always important to me because that changes people’s lives in a way, especially if you can fix their intonation.

YYM: Oh, that’s impossible! [Laughs]

Paul Katz, Yo-Yo Ma, and Chamber Music America CEO Kevin Kwan Loucks. Photo: Hilary Scott.

PK: Let’s return for minute to what has or hasn’t changed about our music through the years. I think the world has changed. I mean, especially since the internet. Everything ever composed or recorded by man is now available on YouTube, and kids grow up hearing that. I think that fact has changed things, most of the time for the better. They have access to everything. But in a way, the fact that people are listening to music that way is maybe a negative, too. What do you think, Yo-Yo?

YYM: Well, I think you have a very good point. You can find so much on YouTube, and I delight in looking at old films from, like, 90 years ago, where you can see musicians as well as hear them. When I was at school, that would not have been possible. Yet it also depends on who’s looking at it, and in what context. It’s not just the fact that it’s there, but what do you do with it? What do you get out of it? And, to Paul’s point, there’s a great aspect to this access because now you can actually hear music from everywhere around the world. That’s an incredible gift.

PK: Not just Western music…

YYM: Right, exactly, any kind of music; all kinds of music. That’s what’s changed. What makes it a little harder is that, when you have fewer choices, maybe you put more emphasis on what you have, and you try and go really deep. Then again, I’ve struggled with an idea of depth that leads you to paralysis. You know, you can go so deep, it’s got to be perfect, when you must realize that is unachievable.

PK: I love that expression, by the way: the depth that leads you to paralysis. I want to remember that.

YYM: Well, unless you have a friend or a guardrail that says stop it, you can go crazy. So, you need company, you need a society around you, a community that is encouraging but that can also say, Okay, that’s enough. Let’s go out to dinner, or let’s do something.

PK: Often, it’s the other problem of not being able to focus. I mean, I’m just talking in general about students, you know? They can be all over the place. But occasionally I will say to a student: Stop digging yourself a hole.

YYM: Paul, what I’ve noticed through the many years I’ve known you is the kindness factor—that you’re a kind human being. That trait is important for any human being but especially for a teacher, to transfer knowledge in a way that doesn’t have negative consequences.

PK: That’s very flattering. I hope you’re right. You know, one of my favorite things is to get together with former students five or ten years after they leave school. And every one of them, as we’re having coffee or whatever, recalls some devastating comment I said to them during a lesson, that they will never forget.

BSO cellist Alexandre Lecarme and Yo-Yo Ma. Photo: Hilary Scott.

YYM: Yes, but they’re willing to tell you that, and they feel safe telling you that. Which is actually a tribute to the openness that you’ve created. The fact that they even want to see you five years later is big; some students don’t want to see the teachers because they’ve had enough. And so, human kindness is a huge factor.

PK: Speaking of kindness… I think about what you’re doing for the world, and the way you’ve given of yourself over and over and over again…

YYM: I think that you and I will agree that when we give of ourselves—not from our expertise, but when we give from our whole selves to something— then there’s a better chance for something to be transmitted. I’m less of a fan of saying I’m an expert in this— sometimes that can be good; you know, this is what you need to know—but if you are really transferring musical knowledge and curiosity and caring, then you have to deal with many sides of life and humanity, and with many sides of the physical, mental, and spiritual self.

PK: You can’t separate music from the person, can you?

YYM: I don’t think so. I’m sure some people will disagree with that statement, but I agree with you on that.

For more information about the CelloBello Legacy Fund and CMA’s acquisition of CelloBello, visit chambermusicamerica.org/news/cma-acquires-cellobello.