Yo-Yo Ma has performed in a lot of iconic venues, including numerous national parks, but this is one for the ages.
This spring, the world-renowned cellist will join the Louisville Orchestra and Louisville Chamber Choir for two free concerts inside Mammoth Cave, the largest cave system in the world.
“Music has been an important part of Mammoth Cave’s over 200-year modern history with classical musicians, choirs, and contemporary artists composing and often performing their music inside the cave,” the National Park Service said in a press release, noting that Louisville Orchestra music director Teddy Abrams composed this event’s music specifically for the cave and with Ma in mind.
“Abrams spent the last year exploring Mammoth Cave National Park and immersing himself into the cave’s geology and human history to gain inspiration from the sights and sounds of the park.”
The free concerts aren’t until April, but the lottery window for tickets opens Jan. 30.
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When are the concerts?
There will only be two concerts inside Mammoth Cave.
They’ll be held on April 29 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The performances will take place in Rafinesque Hall, a large open area inside Mammoth Cave, which also hosts the park’s annual Cave Sing in December. The park service says audience members will be encouraged to move around the space during the interactive performance.
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How to get tickets
An online lottery will will be held at recreation.gov for tickets to either show.
Registration will open at 10 a.m. ET on Jan. 30 and will end at 10 a.m. on Feb. 6. Only one application per email address will be accepted, and each application can request up to four tickets, according to the website.
A $1 application fee will apply to all entries, but the actual concert tickets are free. Admission to Mammoth Cave National Park is also free.
What if you don’t win?
If you strike out in the lottery, you can still catch Yo-Yo Ma with the Louisville Orchestra outside the national park, but it’ll cost much more. They’ll perform Shostakovich together for an April 27th benefit concert and gala at the Kentucky Center. Those ticket packages start at $1,000 and include concert seating, a cocktail reception, dinner and parking.
Those three performances are the only chances to see Yo-Yo Ma with the orchestra, but the Louisville Orchestra will be offering more free performances throughout the year. The orchestra is kicking off a Kentucky-wide tour in May aimed at bringing live classical music to audiences who may not always have the chance to experience it.
Contributing: Kirby Adams, Courier-Journal
Story Credit: usatoday.com