“We The People,” Part 3: Yo-Yo Ma, the BSO, and Voices of Our Time at Tanglewood
About The Episode
In the final part of a three-concert series curated by Yo-Yo Ma Grammy-winning vocalist Arooj Aftab and Ma are the soloists in John Tavener’s Mahámátar, with the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Chorus. Then, cellist and Silkroad Ensemble member Karen Ouzounian is the soloist in Iranian composer Kayhan Kalhor’s Venus in the Mirror, with the composer as co-soloist, and BSO cellist Christine Lee is the soloist in Osvaldo Golijov’s BSO-commissioned Azul.
“We offer a prayer for the future, one that encompasses all the world’s people, that acknowledges sacrifice and seeks inspiration, that contains the arc of the human and natural world, from the primordial planet, through the emergence of humanity, all the way into space and a planetary, humanist, universal future.” — Yo-Yo Ma
Sunday, August 9, 2026
7:00 PM
Anna Handler, conductor
Samy Rachid, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello (Tavener)
Karen Ouzounian, cello (Kalhor)
Christine Lee, cello (Golijov)
Kayhan Kalhor, kamanche
Arooj Afjab, vocalist
Boston University Tanglewood Institute Chorus
John TAVENER Mahámátar, for cello, voice, chorus, and orchestra
Kayhan KALHOR Venus in the Mirror, for kamanche, cello, and orchestra
Osvaldo GOLIJOV Azul, for cello and orchestra
Also on this broadcast, from the Tanglewood Music Center:
Cellists of the BSO and the Tanglewood Music Center
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Ennio MORRICONE arr. Blaise DEJARDIN "Gabriel's Oboe," from "The Mission"
Astor PIAZZOLLA arr. Blaise DEJARDIN La muerte del angel
Claude DEBUSSY arr. Blaise DEJARDIN Clair de lune
Recorded on August 6th, 2026
Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
Lauren Smith, conductor
Maurice RAVEL Le Tombeau de Couperin: I. Prelude
Recorded on August 3rd, 2026