On Oct. 10, world-famous and Grammy Award-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma visited Merrill Auditorium for a performance with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, celebrating its 100th anniversary season. Thanks to some enterprising educators, Portland Public Schools (PPS) high school orchestra students had a unique opportunity to watch Ma rehearse earlier in the day before the concert.

Ashley Terison, an orchestra educator at Lyman Moore Middle School and various elementary schools, spearheaded this unique effort.

“Tickets for the actual concert sold out within minutes, so it is extremely unlikely that students would have had the opportunity to see this performer otherwise,” Terison said.

In addition, after watching Yo-Yo Ma rehearse, the famous cellist took time to speak to students, as did PSO principal cellist Brent Selby at the rehearsal.

Other teachers in the PPS orchestra department—Kim Robison, who teaches at King and Lincoln Middle Schools and various elementary schools, and high school orchestra teachers Audrey Cabral and Abby Hutchins—worked with Terison to ask Portland Symphony Education Coordinator McKenzie Blanchard for permission for students to attend the rehearsal. Attendance was approved for all PPS high school orchestra students and their teachers.

“We are extremely grateful to Mr. Ma and the Portland Symphony Orchestra for this extraordinary opportunity for our students,” Cabral said.

Cabral and a PPS music student were interviewed about this opportunity for a story by the Portland Press Herald. You can read more here. https://www.pressherald.com/2024/10/04/the-portland-symphony-orchestra-was-turning-100-it-wanted-yo-yo-ma/

The Maine Department of Education shared this story on its Maine DOE Newsroom website. https://mainedoenews.net/2024/10/28/portland-high-school-students-watch-world-famous-cellist-yo-yo-ma-rehearse-at-merrill-auditorium/

Photo: PSO principal cellist Brent Selby speaks to rapt Portland High School after they watched Yo-Yo Ma rehearse on Oct. 10.