As I took my place in the first balcony, it took a few moments to overcome the grandeur that the City of Albany worked so hard to restore to the 1931 theatre. After the initial moment of awe, however, my eyes were drawn to just one seat. Positioned between the concert master’s chair and the conductor’s podium, and facing out toward the audience, this seat drew my attention and that of so many others because it would soon be occupied by world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In an event not publicized on his official website, Ma was appearing with the Albany Symphony Orchestra to rededicate the Palace Theatre as the heart and soul of performing arts in the capital of New York.

Before the show began, Chairman of the Palace Theatre Board Alan Goldberg, and Mayor of Albany Gerald D. Jennings, spoke with much appreciation of the community members that had helped to make the renaissance of the Palace Theatre a possibility. Goldberg recalled the torn seats and curtains, the blackened chandelier, and the peeling paint he encountered when Jennings had first asked him to chair the board. While both men reiterated that further support is needed to complete the renovations, it was clear to all that time and money were well spent in bringing the theatre to its current state.

In what seemed to be a cruel act to build suspension, the first selections were performed by the Albany Symphony Orchestra alone, under Music Director and Conductor, David Alan Miller. The five selections from Bizet’s “Carmen” featured various instrumental parts taking the place of the missing vocal melodies. The wide appeal of these pieces seemed to successfully serve their role of readying the less serious spectators for the music to come. Rest assured there was no head-bobbing and humming along during the Tchaikovsky and Dvorak.

As soon as the applause for the orchestra’s first performance abated, Ma’s entrance instantly re-ignited the crowd. In a modest mannerism unique to a person of Ma’s stature, his gestures suggested that we should be applauding for the conductor and the orchestra that had just finished playing, not him.

Once the clamor died down again, the Albany Symphony Orchestra and Ma began Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rocco Theme.” Much of the piece involved Ma playfully pitching the orchestra a melody to mimic. The way Ma can gracefully glide up and down the neck of his cello made the orchestra’s response seem rough and belabored, although each response was as flawless as its call. Toward the end of the piece, the cello solos were so intense that Ma hovered over his chair, as if the energy of the music was trying to make him rise from his seat.

Although Ma did not stand up during his performance, the crowd was quick to its feet for the 47 year-old Chinese cellist born in Paris. After briefly disappearing to stage left, Miller and Ma returned to announce a special encore dedicated to Mayor Jennings, another Tchaikovsky piece; this time the “Andante Cantabile for Cello and Strings.” The fluidity of Ma’s playing was highlighted once again in this slow number. Also, the concert began to take shape as a serious exposition of the talents of composers and musicians alike—even “Variations on a Rocco Theme” did not seem to convince everyone that this was to be more than entertainment for the masses.

Ma and the Orchestra came back after the intermission with Dvorak’s “Cello Concerto, opus 104 in B minor.” Tensions continuously rose and fell in each of the three movements. The intensity could be felt in the air as the horns were blowing thunderously behind the frantically sawing strings. On the other end of the spectrum, a hush took over the crowd during Ma’s solos, where he sustained notes closer to the bridge than many would dare to go. The only noticeable flaws in the concert became apparent in this piece, but it was not at the fault of the musicians. Many members of the audience were offering their applause between the movements, causing annoyance to the rest of us and also throwing off the orchestra and the conductor.

After a deafening applause and a well-deserved standing ovation—finally delivered at the proper time— Ma returned for a solo encore: a Sarabande from one of Bach’s Solo Cello Suites. Ma eased through this piece with the same energy that had been radiating for the duration of the show, proving that he is just as impressive without an orchestra behind him as he is when complemented by his peers.

Much to my excitement, Ma’s “regular guy” mindset continued even after the show. He exited to the main lobby just as the rest of the musicians, stopping to shake hands and sign autographs for fans who had waited for him, including this one.