CELEBRATED Cellist Yo-Yo Ma TO MAKE EIGHTH Harriman-Jewell Series APPEARANCE IN SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT CONCERT

WHO: YO-YO MA, cellist and KATHRYN STOTT, pianist

WHEN: THURSDAY, MARCH 18, at 7:30 p.m.

PRESENTED BY: HARRIMAN-JEWELL SERIES

WHERE: FOLLY THEATER, downtown Kansas City, Mo. (12th and Central Sts.)

TICKETS: The concert is sold out; if seats become available Series staff will release them for sale online at hjseries.org or by phone at 816-415-5025.

PROGRAM: Franz Schubert's Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821; Dmitri Shostakovich's Sonata in D minor, Op. 40; Astor Piazzolla's Le Grand Tango; Gismonti/Carneiro's Bodas de Prata & Quatro Canto; and Cesar Franck's Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano (arranged for cello and piano)

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 Iconic cellist Yo-Yo Ma, one of the most beloved musicians of our day, will play a Special Engagement concert with the accomplished pianist Kathyrn Stott on Thursday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Folly Theater (12th and Central Sts.) in downtown Kansas City. The concert will mark Yo-Yo Ma's eighth appearance and Kathryn Stott's first appearance for the Harriman-Jewell Series. The cellist and pianist have selected a delightful program that includes Franz Schubert's Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821; Dmitri Shostakovich's Sonata in D minor, Op. 40; Astor Piazzolla's Le Grand Tango; Gismonti/Carneiro's Bodas de Prata & Quatro Canto; and Cesar Franck's Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano (arranged for cello and piano).

Yo-Yo Ma maintains a balance between his engagements as soloist with orchestras throughout the world and his recital and chamber music activities. He draws inspiration from a wide circle of collaborators, each fueled by the artists’ interactions. In 1998 Ma established the Silk Road Project to promote the study of the cultural, artistic, and intellectual traditions along the ancient Silk Road trade route that stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. In 2004 Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, a group of world-class musicians who represent the cultures along the famed trade route, played a concert for the Harriman-Jewell Series.

Yo-Yo Ma remains one of the best-selling recording artists in the classical field and his discography of more than 75 albums reflects his wide-ranging interests. The cellist's most recent recordings include the Grammy Award-winning “Songs of Joy and Peace” and the February 2010 collaboration with pianist Emanuel Ax and violinist Itzhak Perlman "Mendelssohn Piano Trios." In 2003, Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Kathryn Stott recorded “Paris: La Belle Époque," to celebrate the work of Fauré, Franck, Massenet, and Saint-Saens.

Ma was born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris. He began to study the cello with his father at age four and soon came with his family to New York, where he spent most of his formative years. Later, his principal teacher was Leonard Rose at the Juilliard School. He sought out a traditional liberal arts education to expand upon his conservatory training, graduating from Harvard University in 1976. In January 2009, at President Obama’s invitation, Yo-Yo Ma played in the quartet performance of John Williams’ Air and Simple Gifts at the 56th Inauguration Ceremony. Most recently, Ma was appointed to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in November 2009. Yo-Yo Ma and his wife have two children. Yo-Yo Ma plays two instruments, a 1733 Montagnana cello from Venice and the 1712 Davidoff Stradivarius.

[Additional biographical information is available at www.yoyoma.com]

Kathryn Stott is one of Britain’s most versatile musicians. Born in Lancashire, she studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music, and was a prize-winner at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 1978. In addition to her busy career as a performer, she is a professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London, as well as teaching at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester. As a concerto soloist she enjoys associations with many major orchestras throughout the world while she has long-standing musical relationships with many distinguished instrumentalists.

[Additional biographical information is available at www.kathrynstott.com]

The concert is sold out; if seats become available Series staff will release them for sale online at hjseries.org or by phone at 816-415-5025. Tickets for this Special Engagement concert are $30, $50, $80, $120, or $150. The William T. Kemper Foundation sponsors this performance.

Now in its 45th season, the nationally recognized Harriman-Jewell Series brings acclaimed performers from the worlds of music, dance, and theatre to Kansas City’s downtown venues. In addition to the performances, Educational Events offer free master classes and lectures to allow area community members and students to view artists in an informal setting. Financial support for the 2009-2010 season has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

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