Feb. 18, 2025
Conversation to feature cello performance by Yo-Yo Ma
CONWAY, Ark. (Arkansas PBS) — As part of its Arkansas Live initiative, Arkansas PBS will livestream Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s sold-out event “In Conversation: Nicolas Ma, Yo-Yo Ma and Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy” Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m. at myarpbs.org/arkansaslive.
This conversation will feature Nicholas Ma, an award-winning director, writer and producer; his father Yo-Yo Ma, cellist and advocate; and former Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy. The conversation, moderated by acclaimed actor and humanitarian Alfre Woodard, will explore themes of conflict transformation, faith, loneliness and the power of human connection to serve a common good, as well as featuring a cello performance by Yo-Yo Ma.
Based in Brooklyn, New York, Nicholas Ma produced the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” about the life of Fred Rogers, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and most recently the WNBA documentary “Unfinished Business,” which premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. He has been a DOC NYC fellow and Film Independent Fellow. Prior to his career in film, he covered global economic policy on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, after working as a consultant in New York and Shanghai. Nicholas received his MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and is a graduate of Harvard College.
Yo-Yo Ma’s multifaceted career is a testament to his belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding. Whether performing new or familiar works for cello, bringing communities together to explore culture’s role in society, or engaging unexpected musical forms, Yo-Yo strives to foster connections that stimulate the imagination and reinforce our humanity. He is an advocate for a future guided by humanity, trust and understanding. Among his many roles, Yo-Yo is a United Nations Messenger of Peace, the first artist ever appointed to the World Economic Forum’s board of trustees, a member of the board of Nia Tero, the U.S.-based nonprofit working in solidarity with Indigenous peoples and movements worldwide, and the founder of the global music collective Silkroad.
Dr. Vivek Murthy served as the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States. As Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, he commanded a uniformed service of 6,000 public health officers. Murthy’s work has widened the lens through which people understand forces that shape their health and well-being. He has drawn attention to critical, underappreciated health issues including the epidemic of loneliness, the impact of social media on youth mental health, parental mental health and well-being, the youth mental health crisis and health worker burnout.
Alfre Woodard is an actor and producer who has been nominated for 17 Emmy Awards (winning four), seven Screen Actors Guild Awards (winning three), three Golden Globe Awards (winning one), 21 NAACP awards (winning nine) and three Independent Spirit Awards (winning one). She received a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award, a Gotham award and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her leading role in Neon’s “CLEMENCY.” Her performance in Martin Ritt’s “Cross Creek” earned her an Academy Award nomination. In addition to her acting career, Woodard is an influential activist who, for 25 years, worked to support human rights, democracy and the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa. In 2009, former President Barack Obama appointed Woodard to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, where she helped establish the Turnaround Arts Initiative as a way to narrow the achievement gap and increase student engagement across the country. She also works in support of the Children’s Defense Fund.
“In Conversation: Nicholas Ma, Yo-Yo Ma and Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy” is sponsored by Reed Greenwood, Malcolm and Ellen Hayward, and Jason and Carol Vella.
Arkansas Live is an initiative from Arkansas PBS that brings compelling special events directly to Arkansans via vivid, multi-camera livestreaming. Viewers gain front-row access to some of the most in-demand events across the state, including livestreams from Crystal Bridges, Arkansas Department of Heritage, Winthrop Rockefeller Institute and more.
About Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of nature. Since opening in 2011, the museum has welcomed more than 12.2 million visitors across its spaces, with no cost for admission. Crystal Bridges was founded in 2005 as a nonprofit charitable organization by arts patron and philanthropist Alice Walton. The collection spans five centuries of American masterworks from early American to current day and is enhanced by temporary exhibitions. The museum is nestled on 120 acres of Ozark landscape and was designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. A rare Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house was preserved and relocated to the museum grounds in 2015. Crystal Bridges offers public programs including lectures, performances, classes and teacher development opportunities. Some 418,375 school children have participated in the Willard and Pat Walker School Visit program, which provides educational experiences for school groups at no cost to the schools. Additional museum amenities include a restaurant, gift store, library, and five miles of art and walking trails. In February 2020, the museum opened the Momentary in Downtown Bentonville (507 SE E Street), conceived as a platform for the art, food and music of our time. In 2026, Crystal Bridges will complete a nearly 100,000 square foot expansion that will allow the museum to expand access for all. For more information, visit CrystalBridges.org. The museum is located at 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712.
About Arkansas PBS
Arkansas PBS, Arkansas’s only statewide public media network, empowers learners of all ages by educating, informing, entertaining and inspiring communities. Arkansas PBS serves as a daily and essential resource for Arkansans by creating, sharing, celebrating and driving conversation around Arkansas stories and classic, trusted PBS programs through multiple digital platforms, including livestreaming at myarpbs.org/live, on-demand services and YouTube TV, and the distinct channels Arkansas PBS, Arkansas PBS Create, Arkansas PBS KIDS, Arkansas PBS WORLD and Arkansas PBS AIRS on SAP. Members with Arkansas PBS Passport have extended on-demand access to a rich library of public television programming. Arkansas PBS depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at myarkansaspbs.org. Arkansas PBS is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), KETZ (El Dorado), KETS (Russellville), KETS (Forrest City), KETS (Gaither) and KETS (Yancy).
---###---