Please read Aleksander's own report how his very special wish became fulfilled:

Since I was a small kid and first started playing the cello, I have always had two wishes:

• to have my own, unique master cello that would give me wings, and
  
• to meet Yo-Yo Ma, who to me is quite possibly the most creative classical performing artist of our time.

Yo-Yo Ma is not only a musician, but also an incredibly versatile, renaissance person whose spirit has always propelled me forward. Until last year, I believed nothing could stop me from chasing my dreams to one day become one of the best cellists on the planet. From the age of six, I won various international competitions, received media attention through Virtuosos and the Goldene Note, and, for the past six years, I had the privilege of studying under István Várdai in Vienna.

But in January 2024, when I was diagnosed with a fast-growing brain tumor, my entire world turned upside down. I was blessed with incredible support from my family, friends, school, and many organizations who stood by me during this journey. Yet, above all, it has been Csodalámpa that allowed me to keep living my dreams.

Thanks to Csodalámpa, last week I had the privilege of meeting and making music with my great inspiration, Yo-Yo Ma in North-Germany, Osnabrück, after his opening performance at the Morgenland Festival.

From the moment we arrived, everything was exceptional.

Yo-Yo Ma welcomed each of us with big hugs, as though we would have been old friends. Then he immediately placed his Stradivari in my hands. We played Vivaldi’s double concerto together. It was incredible to become a team with him, experiencing firsthand his spontaneity, energy, and deep humanity.
After we finished, Yo-Yo Ma encouraged me to go on and to play more. So I played Bach and Wieniawski for him.

I understood that we would have a short meeting, but it turned into a full hour of music, fun, joy and inspiration. I still don’t quite have the words to express what this meant to me.

What Yo-Yo Ma gave me (and all of us) was beyond words.
The moments of making music together with him have become the most powerful, healing memory of my life—one that I will treasure forever. I would like to thank the tireless support of the Csodalámpa team, without whom the meeting could not have taken place.

Playing together - a dream come true

In the name of Aleksander we would like to thank Yo Yo Ma for his kind help for fulfilling Aleks' wish, Ms. Anke Schauer, project manager and Mr. M. Dreyer, Aritistic Director of Morgenland Festival Osnabrück, and last but not least Ms Jenniffer Chen from Sound Posting / Office of Yo Yo Ma for organising the meeting.
We would also like to thank the support of Budapest Marriott Hotel, MVM Zrt. and our private sponsors, among them Ágnes, Zsuzsanna, and the colleagues of Morgan Stanley.

David Sinkovics
wish coordinator
Osnabrück, June 30, 2025