Rick Wakeman Played a Grand Piano Concert for 150 Rescued Moon Bears in Vietnam

Rick Wakeman has played some legendary stages, but his most recent gig might be the most unique one yet. The former Yes keyboardist set up a Yamaha grand piano at Animals Asia’s bear sanctuary in Tam Dao National Park, Vietnam, and performed brand-new compositions written specifically for 150 rescued moon bears. The goal? Raise awareness about bile farms, where bears are kept in tiny cages to extract fluid for traditional medicine, a practice that’s banned in Vietnam but still thrives as the fourth-largest illegal animal trade market in East Asia.

Wakeman has been supporting bear rescue efforts since 2016 and recently adopted a 20-month-old bear. He explained that animals respond to gentle, melodic music, which is exactly why he wrote fresh pieces for the occasion, hoping the bears would wander toward the sanctuary perimeter to listen. The Asiatic black bear population has dropped by roughly a third over the past 30 years, making this kind of awareness work more urgent than ever.

The most moving detail? Many of these bears had never touched grass before they were rescued. Wakeman described the joy of watching them get rehabilitated into a life they never had before. A rock legend, a grand piano, and 150 bears discoveringwhat comfort actually feels like. What song would you play for a bear?