Ma was the first performer on September 11 , 2002 , at the site of the World Trade Center , while the first of the names of the dead were read in remembrance on the first anniversary of the attack on the WTC .
On 11 September , 2002 , a year after the attack on the World Trade Center , he played his cello on the site of the building while the first of the names of the dead were read in remembrance .