On Sept. 13, world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma will bring his talents to the Dartmouth stage. The sold-out Hopkins Center concert marks one of the most highly anticipated events of the upcoming fall season.
Sarah Wang '14, a music major who will be attending the concert, called Ma a "staple" of the music world.
"I could never pass up an opportunity to see him, especially in such an intimate atmosphere," Wang said.
Ma's concert will mark the beginning of the Year of the Arts initiative. Ma, who was a Montgomery Fellow in the winter of 2001, previously performed at Dartmouth in January 2001.
The concert will be held at 7 p.m. in Spaulding Auditorium. Ma will play a repertoire of six pieces: three Bach suites, as well as Adnan Saygun's "Partita," Mark O'Connor's "Appalachia Waltz" and George Crumb's "Sonata for Solo Cello."
Shivani Bhatia '13, who was unable to purchase tickets for the performance, said that although Ma is certainly talented, his real draw is his approach to his professional life.
"Yo-Yo Ma is incredibly talented and expressive, of course, but most importantly, he is accessible," she said. "He makes education and outreach a priority in his career."
Bailey Hoar '13, a music major and "would-be professional musician," called Ma "inspiring."
"I am so impressed by his willingness to collaborate with other musicians, like Bobby McFerrin," she said. "He's stretched the boundaries of classical music and made a name for himself that doesn't involve the connotation of snobbery or stuffiness that usually accompanies classical music."
Tickets for the event went on sale for students at 10 a.m. on Aug. 15, but students were able to purchase tickets as early as Aug. 14 through an order form sent out to campus.
"The Yo-Yo Ma tickets went faster than any other event," Hop publicity coordinator Rebecca Bailey said in an email to The Dartmouth.
The Hop's typical practice is to reserve around 25 percent of tickets for College students and sell the remaining seats to Hop members and the public. Neither the Hop member orders nor the student orders could be satisfied completely, according to Bailey.
Max Sloan '13, who tried to purchase tickets at 10 a.m., said that the tickets had already sold out by that time.
Josh Lee '13, who also tried to purchase tickets at that time, called the box office at 10:25 a.m. only to be told that student tickets had been sold out since 8:45 a.m. that morning.
Bailey explained that students who placed an order through the order form attached to the Aug. 14 email were put at the front of the line to receive tickets.
Students interviewed said they were disappointed by the lack of available seats.
Hoar said she wished the Hop had made more accommodations for College students, especially music majors.
"It's a huge bummer that the majority of the junior music majors won't get to see him play," she said.
Lee said he was unhappy with the ticket-selling method, as the use of physical order forms put students who were off-campus or unable to go to the box office at a disadvantage.
"The email gave the impression that the Hop secured spots exclusively for students wishing to purchase tickets online or through a phone call," Lee said. "That promise could not be held to begin with."
Ma's international renown and household name likely contributed to the high demand for tickets.
"It's a little like what happened with Avicii," Sloan said. "Even if people don't regularly listen to the incoming performer's music, their fame and talent paired with cheap tickets make concerts like these tough to pass up."
Many other events in the Year of the Arts series have seen high demand for tickets, according to Bailey. The Jan. 24, 2013 Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performance featuring Wynton Marsalis, as well as three Alvin Ailey performances next March, have already sold out except for reserved student seats. Concerts featuring The Capitol Steps, Chick Corea and Gary Burton and the Venice Baroque Orchestra have also seen high levels of attendance, Bailey said. Brooklyn Rider, a string quartet mentored by Ma, will also perform at Dartmouth on Jan. 18.
