On November 29, 1962, 7-year-old cello prodigy Yo-Yo Ma performed at the D.C. National Guard Armory in front of President John F. Kennedy and other esteemed dignitaries. His appearance was part of a televised event called “An American Pageant of the Arts,” which was held to raise money for the National Cultural Center — later renamed the Kennedy Center. This arts organization was founded under Kennedy’s predecessor Dwight D. Eisenhower, who also attended the event by remote satellite from Augusta, Georgia.
The event featured acts including singer Harry Belafonte, ballerina Maria Tallchief, and Yo-Yo Ma and his 11-year-old sister, Yeou-Cheng Ma, who accompanied her brother on piano. It marked the U.S. and television debut for the cellist, who had been playing for audiences in his home nation of France since age 5. On this night, the duo was introduced by emcee Leonard Bernstein before playing a rendition of Jean-Baptiste Bréval’s “Concertino No. 3 in A Major.” The talented musical siblings were received quite favorably; both Kennedy and Eisenhower were shown on TV applauding with delight.
While this marked the first time Yo-Yo Ma performed for an American president, it wasn’t the last. The musician has played cello in front of several U.S. presidents, including at the White House for Ronald Reagan in 1987 and at a 2018 Armistice ceremony for Donald Trump. He also performed at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration — which was attended by Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Joe Biden — and he delivered a virtual cello performance at President Biden’s 2021 inauguration.
