Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born to and partial… Read Full Bio ↴Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born to and partially raised by Chinese parents in Paris and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from the Juilliard School and Harvard University, attended Columbia University, and has performed as a soloist with orchestras around the world. He has recorded more than 92 albums and received 19 Grammy Awards.
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.
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.
Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 In G Major BWV 1007: Prélude
Yo-Yo Ma Lyrics
Jump to: Line by Line Meaning ↴
a hella lot of cello
still more
cello
lotta cello
still cello
more cello
cello
woah more cellocello
2 minutes worth of cello
cello
so much cello
i love cello
chello
chill hoe
hello cello
still more
cello
lotta cello
still cello
more cello
cello
woah more cellocello
2 minutes worth of cello
cello
so much cello
i love cello
chello
chill hoe
hello cello
a hella lot of cello
The music piece features a significant amount of cello playing.
still more
The cello music continues to be played continuously throughout the piece.
cello
The instrument being played throughout the piece is the cello.
lotta cello
There is a great deal of cello music presented in this piece.
still cello
The cello playing has not ceased and is still being played.
more cello
Additional more cello music is being played throughout the music piece.
cello
The primary musical instrument being played is the cello.
woah more cello
There is a significant and unexpected increase in cello music being played in this specific part of the piece.
cello
The primary instrument being played is still the cello.
2 minutes worth of cello
The total length of the music piece is approximately two minutes and is primarily comprised of cello music.
cello
The cello is still being played heavily throughout the piece.
so much cello
There is a vast amount of cello music being played in various ways throughout the piece.
i love cello
The singer of the song presents their great affection for the cello and is enjoying the piece being played.
chello
The word 'chello' is likely intended as a humorous mispronunciation of 'cello'.
chill hoe
The phrase 'chill hoe' likely has no relevance to the the music piece or the cello and is not directly related to the intended meaning of this analysis.
hello cello
The phrase 'hello cello' is an acknowledgement or greeting towards the cello, possibly expressing appreciation for its presence in the piece.
Contributed by Eva M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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@joelrue11
If you really look at it, there's something incredibly beautiful about this piece of music in conjunction with the visuals of the white lines. The piece, beginning with a sort of disjointed dance between G and D, feels very composed and methodical. Moving toward a goal, an endgame, it feels ready and willing to meet any challenge. But then it begins to sway, to move, to shift and shake. It feels as if the piece has lost its way, in a meandering, piecemeal way; it isn't bad, just off on its own way. But then, finally, the piece climbs and climbs, bit by tiny bit, until we reach a sudden peak and we find ourselves back around at the start of it all.
Take all of that, and add to it the video and the lines. The lines, when near someone doing something (Ma playing the cello, the girl on ice, the kids in the alley, the ballerina, etc...), shake and move rapidly. But when they get away from someone, they effects of the people are muted, so that the lines flow smoothly on. And don't take that as me saying that there is effect; on the contrary, everyone always moves the lines the tiniest bit for us all, as process goes. When you frame it in that regard, then all of a sudden each person contributes in their own way and to their own effect. As if to say, "Look, we're all connected by this force, this energy, this effect, and we all have an immediate impact; but if you want to shake the lines around others, it's really going to take some effort, something spectacular."
And when you combine this meandering journey of beauty and mystery that finally circles back to its powerful and authoritative starting point with the notion that we are all connected and all exist on the same flowing force, but we only have small effects, think about it: Yo-Yo Ma is trying to paint a picture of what he says at the beginning:
Just some thoughts.
Brilliant piece of music, Mr. Ma absolutely nails it.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all, it's been a long year and I hope whoever reads this finds joy for themselves.
@johannbach3253
Well done. This is how my music was always intended to be played
@PJBJr
Johann Bach sprech Deutsch
@johannbach3253
@@PJBJr Ja ich spreche deutsch
@gsamsa
By being a commercialist sellout?
@nubmaster696
Bach, please bless ne
@solomisscannonminiononly4173
Notice me senpai
@Thatdontsurpriseme
I wonder if Bach ever thought that this would still be being played after 300 years
@StainsAndGrains
anthony thomas I wonder things like that too. I’m an artist and wonder if my work will be known for generations....doubtful
@andrer9074
@@StainsAndGrains well there are many old art pieces that are well known so dont give up😊
@CoolDrifty
Stains And Grains Anything you write or draw can be immortalized forever on the internet