The Bach Choir of Bethlehem is postponing this year’s annual fundraiser and gala featuring internationally-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

“Truth, Trust and Service: How Culture Connects Us: Yo-Yo Ma” was to have been presented at 7 p.m. Oct. 16, Parkland High School, 2700 N. Cedar Crest Boulevard, Allentown.

“With profound sadness, coupled with a responsibility for the safety and health of everyone involved, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem announces that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a postponement of this singular event, and the appearance of Yo-Yo Ma in our community,” stated a July 7 press release from the Choir.

“After due consideration of all of the circumstances, we remain fully committed to bringing this significant artist and very relevant program to the Lehigh Valley when we are able, and will announce a rescheduled date as soon as it is confirmed,” the July 7 press release stated.

The event was “to acknowledge and celebrate Artistic Director and Conductor Greg Funfgeld’s final season with The Bach Choir in 2020-21,” according to a Feb. 24 press release that had announced the annual fundraiser and gala.

“The event will be a catalyst for an ongoing Lehigh Valley wide conversation about how culture connects us,” stated the Feb. 24 announcement.

“Cellist Yo-Yo Ma will explore the role culture can play in helping us to imagine and build a better future, drawing on examples from his own life as a musician and citizen.

“Yo-Yo’s presentation is rooted in the belief that at a moment when our world is challenged by the pace of change and the divisions it can create, the values that culture promotes, truth, trust, and service, are essential to our survival,” the Feb. 24 press release stated.

According to the July 7 press release from the Choir: “Our goal for this program remains: To combine a pinnacle of musical performance, a deep connection to Bach, and an inspiring message of ‘truth, trust and service’ that will act as a catalyst for bringing together diverse people of all ages and cultures throughout the Lehigh Valley to experience the music, engage in dialogue on the message, and take creative action.”

“On behalf of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Greg Funfgeld is honored to welcome Yo-Yo Ma back to the Lehigh Valley,” the Feb. 24 press release stated.

“Mr. Ma performed Bach’s ‘Cello Suites’ at The Bach Choir’s Centennial celebration in 1998. His return this year to present his program, ‘Truth, Trust and Service: How Culture Connects Us,’ will be among the highlights of Artistic Director Funfgeld’s final season,” according to the Feb. 24 press release.

Said Funfgeld in the Feb. 24 press release: “To welcome Yo-Yo Ma back to the Lehigh Valley is a rare privilege and precious opportunity.

“Yo-Yo Ma’s artistry is recognized and admired around the world. From ‘Sesame Street’ to great concert halls everywhere, he has touched lives and inspired countless souls,” said Funfgeld.

“Beyond his status as one of the world’s greatest artists, Yo-Yo is a profoundly deep thinker. His life, music-making, collaborations with outstanding artists in every discipline, and his interaction with people in every corner of the globe have given him extraordinary insight and wisdom, all of which he will share with us in this incredible program,” Funfgeld said.

“This is a singular event, not-to-be missed. Join us for a life-changing, life-enriching, and life-affirming experience,’’ said Funfgeld in the Feb. 24 press release.

Acknowledging the lead sponsors of the event, The Dexter F. & Dorothy H. Baker Foundation and John & Carol Daniel, as well as other sponsors, Bach Choir Executive Director Bridget George announced in the Feb. 24 press release that The Bach Choir was to give away 300 event tickets to students in diverse communities throughout the Lehigh Valley as well as to 60 community leaders in the fields of arts, culture, health, education and the environment.

Said George in the Feb. 24 press release, “A community engagement committee will involve these selected students and community leaders in pre- and post-event activities in the weeks leading up to and following the event.

“The plan is for Yo-Yo Ma’s presence with us on October 16 to have a significant and broad impact on a continuing Lehigh Valley conversation about the role of the arts and culture in connecting us. The follow-up will include an on-line exhibition of writing, artwork and video clips inspired by Yo-Yo Ma’s presentation,” George said in the Feb. 24 press release.

The July 7 press release noted, in addition to the lead sponsors of the event, The Dexter F. & Dorothy H. Baker Foundation, John & Carol Daniel, that of lead sponsor, the Air Products Foundation.

In August 2018, Yo-Yo Ma set out to perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s six suites for solo cello in one sitting in 36 locations around the world.

He established Silkroad, a collective of artists from around the world who create music that engages their many traditions.

Yo-Yo Ma was born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris. He began to study the cello with his father at age four and three years later moved with his family to New York City, where he continued his cello studies with Leonard Rose at the Juilliard School.

He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in anthropology in 1976.

Yo-Yo Ma has received numerous awards, including the Avery Fisher Prize (1978), the Glenn Gould Prize (1999), the National Medal of the Arts (2001), the Dan David Prize (2006), the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award (2008), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2010), Kennedy Center Honors (2011), the Polar Music Prize (2012) and the J. Paul Getty Medal Award (2016). He has performed for eight American presidents.

Yo-Yo Ma and his wife have two children.

He plays three instruments, a 2003 instrument made by Moes & Moes, a 1733 Montagnana cello from Venice, and a 1712 Davidoff Stradivarius.

Information: www.bach.org