Cellist Yo-Yo Ma â76 joined six Harvard students to discuss the importance of art in bridging various personal and global gaps in a virtual event on Monday as part of this year s virtual ARTS FIRST festival, hosted by Harvardâs Office of the Arts.
The event, titled âMusic and Human Connectionâ and moderated by Alicia Anstead and Jack Megan of the OFA, is the first of three conversations with past Harvard Arts Medal recipients as part of ARTS FIRST, which runs from April 19 to April 30.
Ma spoke on the emotional demands of his art, including his struggle to embrace imperfections.
In response to Alan J. Tu â23, who asked Ma about the role of messiness and experimentation in his music, Ma urged listeners to be âabsolutely presentâ in every moment despite its flaws.
Harvardâs annual Arts First Festival, one of the largest collegiate arts festivals in the country that showcases performers across diverse genres and spaces, is gearing up for its second consecutive year in a virtual format starting Monday.
The 2020 festival took place after Harvard shut down campus last March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, artmakers at Harvard have found new ways to create a memorable experience in locations around the world.
âLast year, we did a small virtual festival, but because all the closing happened in the middle of March, there was very little time to really do what weâve done this year,â said Jack Megan, the director of Harvardâs Office of the Arts.