In addition to recordings of the standard classical repertoire, Ma has recorded a wide variety of folk music, such as American bluegrass music, traditional Chinese melodies, the tangos of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla, and Brazilian music. He has also collaborated with artists from a diverse range of genres, including Bobby McFerrin, Carlos Santana, Chris Botti, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Miley Cyrus, and Sting.
Ma has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2006. He has received numerous awards, including the Avery Fisher Prize in 1978, The Glenn Gould Prize in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, Kennedy Center Honors in 2011, the Polar Music Prize in 2012, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize in 2022. He was named as one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. Aside from English, Ma is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and French.
Ma's primary performance instrument is the Davidov cello, made in 1712 by Antonio Stradivari
Ma's mother, Marina Lu, was a singer, and his father, Hiao-Tsiun Ma, was a violinist, composer and professor of music at Nanjing National Central University (now relocated in Taoyuan, Taiwan; predecessor of the present-day Nanjing University and Southeast University). They both migrated from the Republic of China to France during the Chinese Civil War. Ma's sister, Yeou-Cheng Ma, played the violin and piano professionally before obtaining a medical degree from Harvard and becoming a pediatrician. The family moved to New York City when Ma was seven.
From the age of three, Ma played the drums, violin, piano, and later viola, but settled on the cello in 1960 at age four. When three-year-old Yo-Yo said he wanted a big instrument, his father went to see Etienne Vatelot, a foremost violin maker in Paris who, after a chat, lent him a 1/16th cello. He jokes that his first choice was the double bass due to its large size, but he compromised and took up the cello instead. When his father realized that Yo-Yo was ready for a better teacher, a well-known cello instructor, Mme Michelle Lepinte, was selected. He began performing before audiences at age five and played for presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy when he was seven. At age eight, he appeared on American television with his sister in an event introduced by Leonard Bernstein. In 1964, Isaac Stern introduced them on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and they performed the Sonata of Sammartini. He attended Trinity School in New York but transferred to the Professional Children's School, where he graduated at age 15. He appeared as a soloist with the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra in a performance of Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations.
Ma studied at the Juilliard School at age 19 with Leonard Rose and attended Columbia University, but dropped out. He later enrolled at Harvard College. Prior to entering Harvard, Ma played in the Marlboro Festival Orchestra under the direction of cellist, conductor and Ma’s childhood hero Pablo Casals. He spent four summers at the Marlboro Music Festival after meeting and falling in love with Mount Holyoke College sophomore and festival administrator Jill Hornor during his first summer there in 1972.
Even before that time, Ma gained fame and performed with many of the world's major orchestras. He has also played chamber music, often with pianist Emanuel Ax, with whom he has a close friendship from their days at Juilliard. Ma received his bachelor's degree in anthropology from Harvard in 1976, and in 1991 received an honorary doctorate from Harvard.
Yo-Yo Ma has been referred to by critics as "omnivorous" and possesses an eclectic repertoire. In addition to numerous recordings of the standard classical repertoire, he has recorded Baroque pieces using period instruments; American bluegrass music; traditional Chinese melodies, including the soundtrack to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; the tangos of Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla; Brazilian music, recording traditional and contemporary songs composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Pixinguinha; a collaboration with Bobby McFerrin (where Ma admitted to being terrified by McFerrin's improvisation); and the music of modern minimalist Philip Glass, in such works as the 2002 Naqoyqatsi.
Ma is known for his smooth, rich tone, soulful lyricism, and virtuosity. He released a cello recording of Niccolò Paganini's Caprice No. 24 for solo violin and Zoltán Kodály's Solo Sonata.
On May 1, 2019, he performed at Paranal Observatory in the Atacama desert. He said that his interest in astronomy motivated him to visit and perform there.
Ma's albums include recordings of cello concertos, sonatas for cello and piano, works for solo cello, and a variety of chamber music. He has also recorded in non-classical styles, notably in collaboration with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Carlos Santana, Chris Botti, Chris Thile, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Miley Cyrus and Sting.
Nara-Yama
Yo-Yo Ma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
涙で歪んで 見えません
幸せの数だけ瞬いているよと
むごい嘘
名づけた星もあなたと一緒
この手の中 いないの
恋の熱は怖いものですね
覚めたら気づいた私のピアノは 壊れてないのに
あなたの気持ちに ほら響かない
あなたのいいとこ 見えません
たくさんあるのに 見えません
花言葉どおりの未来をあげるよと
甘い歌
髪に飾ったアイリスは もう
ドライフラワー
砕けた
恋の熱は早いものですね
枯れ果てた涙
私の心は 地割れた砂漠よ
うわべの愛では 花は咲かない
人を愛さずに生きられるなら
さぞかし楽だろう
人を思わずに逃げられるなら
どんなに身軽だろう
私のピアノは蓋を閉じたよ
拍手もないまま
私の心は 地割れた砂漠
もう花は咲かない
うわべの言葉は ああ いりません
正しい正しい愛を下さい
さよなら
The lyrics of "Nara-Yama" by Yo-Yo Ma reflect a deep and poignant exploration of love's complexities and the emotional turmoil that often accompanies it. The opening lines convey a profound sense of disillusionment and sorrow, as the singer expresses that the concept of "correct love" is elusive and obscured by tears. This imagery suggests that the idealized version of love, usually portrayed as pure and joyful, becomes distorted through personal pain and heartbreak. Instead of happiness, the singer perceives a painful lie, implying that the expectations surrounding love can lead to disillusionment. The metaphor of shared stars signifies the intimacy once felt, yet there’s an emptiness in realizing that the person they long for is no longer present, conveying a sense of loss and longing.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the dynamics of love, noting that despite the presence of admirable qualities in their partner, they remain unseen. The juxtaposition of abundant love and the inability to recognize it illustrates a struggle between emotional perception and reality. This tension is further highlighted by references to flower language—a symbol traditionally representing hope and connection; however, it is intertwined with sadness as expressed through the metaphor of "dry flowers." This suggests that even beautiful moments in love can wither, reinforcing the idea that love, while vibrant and hopeful, can also lead to personal heartache and unfulfilled expectations. The metaphor of a "shattered piano" symbolizes the disconnect between the musician (the singer) and the music (the relationship), emphasizing that despite the external trappings of love, the emotional connection fails to resonate.
The latter part of the song takes on a contemplative tone, as the singer considers the implications of living without love. This introspection reveals a profound existential dilemma—a yearning for connection versus the perceived ease of living free from emotional entanglement. The singer articulates a desire to escape the burdens of love while simultaneously recognizing that such an existence lacks depth and fulfillment. The imagery of a closed piano further underscores feelings of rejection, silence, and abandonment. Without applause—that symbolic acknowledgment of success or emotional resonance—the singer feels trapped in an emotional desolation akin to a "cracked desert," devoid of life and joy. Love, rather than being a source of flourishing beauty, has become a dry expanse where "flowers do not bloom."
In a powerful concluding plea, the singer implores for a "correct love," signifying a yearning for authenticity and depth in relationships. This desire for something genuine encapsulates the emotional core of the song, as the artist grapples with the contrast between superficial expressions of affection and the deeper connections they long for. The mention of saying goodbye frames the entire emotional journey, suggesting a painful acceptance of separation—a farewell not only to the person but also to the illusions and expectations that love had conjured. Overall, "Nara-Yama" is a multifaceted exploration of love, heartache, and the quest for genuine connection in a landscape filled with emotional scars and unfulfilled desires.
Line by Line Meaning
正しい愛など 見えません
True love eludes my gaze, as if obscured by a veil.
涙で歪んで 見えません
My vision is distorted by tears, making clarity impossible.
幸せの数だけ瞬いているよと
There are countless moments of happiness that flicker like stars.
むごい嘘
But these are cruel lies, shattering illusions of joy.
名づけた星もあなたと一緒
Even the stars I named are reminders of our shared moments.
この手の中 いないの
Yet, you are not here, absent from my grasp.
恋の熱は怖いものですね
The intensity of love can be truly frightening.
覚めたら気づいた
Upon awakening, I realized a painful truth.
私のピアノは 壊れてないのに
Though my piano remains intact, it plays no comforting melodies.
あなたの気持ちに ほら響かない
These notes fail to resonate with your feelings.
あなたのいいとこ 見えません
Your good qualities are hidden from my view.
たくさんあるのに 見えません
Even though they abound, they remain unseen.
花言葉どおりの未来をあげるよと
I promise a future filled with the beauty of flower symbolism.
甘い歌
These promises are sweet songs of hope.
髪に飾ったアイリスは もう
The iris I once wore in my hair has started to wilt.
ドライフラワー
Now it is a mere dried flower, devoid of life.
砕けた
My joy is shattered, like fragile glass.
恋の熱は早いものですね
The fervor of love can fade abruptly.
枯れ果てた涙
My tears have run dry, leaving only emptiness.
私の心は 地割れた砂漠よ
My heart resembles a cracked desert, parched and barren.
うわべの愛では 花は咲かない
Superficial love cannot nurture blooms; it lacks depth.
人を愛さずに生きられるなら
If one could live without loving another,
さぞかし楽だろう
Life would surely be more uncomplicated.
人を思わずに逃げられるなら
If fleeing from attachments were possible,
どんなに身軽だろう
It would leave one feeling so unburdened.
私のピアノは蓋を閉じたよ
My piano now remains closed, silent and untouched.
拍手もないまま
There is no applause to acknowledge its absence.
私の心は 地割れた砂漠
Again, my heart is the cracked desert, lost in solitude.
もう花は咲かない
No flowers will bloom here any longer.
うわべの言葉は ああ いりません
I no longer need mere superficial words; they are empty.
正しい正しい愛を下さい
Please grant me a love that is genuine and true.
さよなら
Thus, I bid farewell, signaling the end of this chapter.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ヨエコ 倉橋
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind