Yo-Yo Ma with the Houston Symphony

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Houston Symphony

Champion cellist Yo-Yo Ma

Photo by Jason Bell

Champion cellist Yo-Yo Ma

Photo by Jason Bell

The day before the Super Bowl, enjoy some classic music at the Houston Symphony, which will be hosting champion cellist Yo-Yo Ma on the evening of February 4. The powerhouse performance will take place at the architecturally acclaimed Jones Hall, located only 6 miles from NRG Stadium.

A former child prodigy (who played for presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy at the age of seven), Ma will join music director Andrés Orozco-Estrada and his tight team of musicians as they tackle Antonín Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B Minor. As if that were not impressive enough, Ma will most likely be playing the piece on his favorite cello “Petunia.” Built by Domenico Montagnana in 1733, the instrument is estimated to be worth $2.5 million—a price just under half of what the winning NFL franchise will receive as a bonus. (houstonsymphony.org)