Neighbor News
D200 Educator Plays Alongside Yo-Yo Ma
D200 orchestra teacher Jeanne Johannesen spent a memorable weekend recently playing cello alongside famous classical musician Yo-Yo Ma.
District 200 orchestra teacher Jeanne Johannesen spent a memorable weekend recently playing cello alongside famous classical musician Yo-Yo Ma on the renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) stage. She said that it was “inspiring…such a charge to play music with great
musicians and to make that glorious sound!”
The event was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago (COC), the training orchestra for the CSO. Jeanne, her daughter, Paula, and other COC alumni were invited to participate in the February 29 concert. About 120 musicians, about a third of whom came from Europe, Asia and Africa, played in the closed session that lasted for several hours. Jeanne was a paid member of the COC for eight years after receiving her bachelor’s degree in music education from Illinois State University and while she was studying for her master’s degree at DePaul University.
“Yo-Yo Ma is interested in the cultural education of our (diverse) population,” Jeanne said. She added that she has spent much time speaking with him about their shared passion of music education during the three times that she has played with him through COC events, including this one. “He is very social and he loves to talk about teaching. We talk about how to bring music to all these kids.” Jeanne has been a music teacher in District 200 for 16 years. This year she teaches orchestra at Emerson, Longfellow, Pleasant Hill, Sandburg and Washington Elementary Schools. Her daughter, Paula, plays violin as a guest musician with the COC and teaches music at Elgin Community College.
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Yo-Yo Ma has worked in Chicago for 10 years with the COC in outreach programs for Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Parks Department, retirement homes and even jails, Jeanne said. She added that Yo-Yo Ma feels that it is essential to bring music to everyone, a sentiment with
which Jeanne wholeheartedly and passionately agrees. Jeanne’s relationship with Yo-Yo Ma and other professional musicians has added a unique and dynamic dimension to her teaching career.
The special weekend included a reception at the Exchequer Restaurant in Chicago and another COC
concert that featured a solo by Yo-Yo Ma.
