More than two years after the outbreak of COVID, Hong Kong is now facing a spike in confirmed cases and a near shutdown of all physical activities. Nevertheless what makes an artist valuable is their ability to breakthrough and overcome challenges in all creative ways. Since two years ago, different cellists have been playing around the limitations of online streaming and exploring new modes of performance. They have experimented with different modes of filming, trying to bring the sound and atmosphere of cello music to the screen.
To read the full articles and the watch their video performance, please see comments below
I. Yo-Yo Ma's Vaccine Centre improvisation
The American cellist Yo-Yo Ma was one of the most active musician in the digital world era. He has called on other musicians to share their own recordings or to co-write new pieces online. Exactly a year ago, he gave a surprise performance at a vaccination site in Massachusetts, the United States and played classic cello pieces such as Ave Maria and Cello Suite No.1 In G Major in a waiting room.
In an interview with the New York Times, he said he believed that “People need each other for support beyond the immediate staples of life, they need music.”
The link of Yo-Yo Ma's performances can be found in comment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWWzmha1_jE
2. Music Performance on the Internet
When public performances are not practically feasible, online performances have been a common alternative for many production companies. Among the tons of them, one particularly interesting project is the performances by French cellist Camille Thomas in various art venues in Paris. She has filmed her performance in museums, galleries and art centres, which are emptied due to the pandemic, to bring art back closer to the public.
Camille Thomes at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bec-8vaKvA
3. A network of cellists
A year ago, when the globe was terribly disrupted by COVID, a cellist, Tony Rogers, took it upon himself to initiate The Covid Cello Project, inviting cellists from all over the world to make recordings together with a selection of music. In the old days, a well-equipped studio could cost thousands to renovate, but now home studio has been common for musicians to make their music at home with reasonable sound and relatively low costs. The project is still ongoing, and more artists from different disciplines have been invited to participate, such as the work Nutcracker in early January, where 282 cellists, nine dancers and one drummer submitted works. This ongoing project is also a statement that music can continue to be played wherever, whenever and in whatever state.
The Nutcracker by The Global Cellist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXso8R9vl4w&t=142s
Photo source: youtube, The Limitedtimes, abcnew.gogo.com