ARTS FIRST is an annual arts festival at Harvard, created by John Lithgow '67, that presents more than two hundred music, theater, dance, and visual arts events over the course of a single weekend. The festival celebrates all kinds of creative activity at venues large and small, indoors and out, including Harvard Yard, Sanders Theater, the Harvard Museums, and the undergraduate houses.

The Harvard ARTS FIRST Medal was established in 1995 to recognize excellence in the arts. The medal honors a Harvard or Radcliffe alumnus/a or faculty member who has achieved distinction in the arts and who has made a special contribution to the good of the arts, to the public good in relation to the arts, or to education, broadly defined. The medal is awarded annually at ARTS FIRST. This program shows the 2004 Harvard Arts Medal celebration honoring cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

John Lithgow is the host and moderator of this event. He introduces and converses with Yo-Yo Ma in Sanders Theater, expressing his deep appreciation for this world-renowned and gracious musician. The program includes a performance of the first movement of Schubert's Trout Quintet by student musicians, a conversation between Mr. Lithgow and Mr. Ma, a question and answer session with the audience, a breathtaking performance of Bach's First Suite for Solo Cello by Yo-Yo Ma, and the award ceremony, presented by Harvard President Lawrence Summers.

Select from the following to begin viewing the presentation: