The Philadelphia Orchestra Yannick Nézet-Séguin Music Director

“I am just so excited that we got to be a ‘typical’ family for a few hours! It was an amazing gift. Your generosity was healing for our family!”

The inaugural year of NYO2 culminated in a weekend of events in Philadelphia, July 1-3, with coachings, concerts, a mega PlayIN, and even some sightseeing.

World famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma is a frequent guest and good friend of The Philadelphia Orchestra but his appearances last week were his first subscription performances in 20 years. He joined Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève to kick off the Orchestra’s two-week celebration of the music of John Williams, performing the composer’s Cello Concerto, written specifically for him. Ma and Denève were also special guests at the Orchestra’s Cello PlayIN, where over 100 cellists from the Philadelphia region performed alongside Ma and the entire cello section of the ensemble.