Organised by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the show was entitled 'An Invitation to Create the Future' and brought together a diverse range of guests from music, academia, science and the space industry. Between musical performances that ranged from classical to pop, they discussed the future of our planet and the role of space in inspiring and creating it.
Therefore, the concert showed the ability of Yo-Yo Ma's music to take us into an oneiric and inimitable dimension, and the debate he was able to provoke from his art as well as his knowledge gave us elements to enlighten our own.
Among the guests who joined Yo-Yo Ma on stage to share their thoughts and experiences on this theme were ESA's Director General Josef Aschbacher and ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, who both answered questions from the audience. In the course of the presentations, punctuated by questions from the cellist, science and music managed to show us how they complement each other. Amir Siraj, a 22-year-old astrophysicist and pianist, explained that he undertook a 'long dialogue with nature' to find out whether the sun had a twin, when it occurred to him that two voices seemed to revolve around one another.
By asking questions about topics that are inextricably tied up with humanity, Yo-Yo Ma invited us to cross disciplines and knowledge to understand what is inside us and outside of ourselves. He led the speakers to share their interpretation of the world, emphasising the link that unites us all - everything being interconnected.
Yo-Yo Ma delivered a message about the importance of listening, communicating and collaborating in order to gather answers that will allow us to create the future.
The show culminated in a musical performance where everyone was involved, including Matthias Maurer assisting on the piano and the audience participating by creating a 'galaxy of stars' with the flashlights on their phones. The final number was a powerful version of David Bowie's 'Space Oddity' with a lead vocal by singer-songwriter Imany, reminding that we are all made of star dust, which provided a reflective ending to the show.
UNESCO’s mission to foster mutual understanding and respect for our planet has a close affinity with ESA and its values. The inspiring lesson highlighted by this show’s dialogue between music and science was about the value of cooperation and how humanity can achieve great things by working together.
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