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.
Vocalise
Yo-Yo Ma Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Vocalise' by these artists:
Jackie Evancho See the stone Set in your eyes See the thorn Twist in your…
The Epiphoni Consort Vocalise ...…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Yo-Yo Ma:
1 x 0 You focused on the tablets that Apple made I’m focused on…
A New Name... A New Life Breathe in a brand new life A light that will flicker…
All Through the Night The day is my enemy, the night my friend, For I'm…
As The Water Diamonds on my neck and they Water I charge six hundred…
As The Water.. Oh you got that water wet (drip) Thang drippin' like a…Cristal No puedo prometerte gloria, no puedo, pero lo haré: te prome…
Easy To Love I know too well that I'm just wasting precious time In…
Good Night This beat is crazy This club amazing This is where…
Good-Bye Feels So Good f. Ne-Yo [Ne-Yo] We up in this room (Yea) I'm…
Grace One time for who I’m kickin in to Love me two…
Here Comes The Sun In the midnight moonlight I'll, be walkin' a long and…
I Am You Whenever skies look gray to me And trouble begins to brew, W…
In the Still of the Night In the still of the night As I gaze out of…
Kuai Le 突然把房间 好好整理 答应朋友的局 出门去 喔 还可以 还过得去 不敢再听的那些歌曲 慢慢解开了封印 要适应 没有你 想…
Largo Siento las gotas de lluvia caer Y extrañamente eso me sienta…
Mama "There are a few things I want to explain to…
My Favorite Things I don't like the people that keep my name in…
Nara-Yama 正しい愛など 見えません 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…
Reflections Ayy real talk like She be killin' me, tryna talk like…
Second Time Around When she said, "Don't waste your words, they're just lies" …
slumber my darling Slumber, my darling, thy mother is near, Guarding thy dreams…
So in Love I hear the shots outside its funny how it smells I'd…
Soledad A veces el risueño esconde en su seno el terror, la…
Sorrow Always felt like my feet were off the ground Now I…
Stars (I miss you) 너를 위해 죽을 수도 있단 생각을 했어 Now…
Sweet Lorraine Everything is set, skies are blue, Can't believe it yet, bu…
The Eternal Почему из всех ты подошла ко мне Они все повторяют как…
The Soldier You think you tossin these hoes dawg, but really you…
Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 In G Major BWV 1007: Prélude a hella lot of cello still more cello lotta cello still cell…
Wake Up...And Die I just need to wake up need to wake up I…
Zui-Zui-Zukkorobashi 我还不能妥协 我很安静陪着你 有些怀疑 能不能陪我到最终目的 我的安静不怀疑 就别再提 能不能让我回到最初的记忆…リベルタンゴ 消えない恋のうずき はてしない夢の名残り 指先で刻む あつい宿命(さだめ)のリズム 苦しみの闇の中に 光る愛を求め 帰る…
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@carringtonlefayette8644
God and the Universe were showing off when you were made.
My Heartfelt gratitude for your music.
Beyond perfection.
Australia 11.28pm
7 February 2021
@elizabethmorgan2513
Well said!
@hasarde
Thank you so much Yo Yo Ma for offer to the world your lovely art in this precious gift of peace and solidarity
@MarionFiedlerMusic
And are still showing off.
@gaycrouch4947
Amen!
@elizabethmorgan2513
I am in tears from the sheer beauty of this piece and the way it was played. “Thank you” doesn’t quite encompass the complexity of emotions your playing brings, but its the best I can do. Your music is a gift.
@yo-yoma8433
Hello 👋 Thanks for your comment and supports. Your comments and constant support has brought me this far, I greatly appreciate you...It's been a journey through the years.
Keep supporting ❤️💐
Kindly Text me via:
yoyoma.prvt.offcial@gmail.com
@sharondurkee9770
I felt exactly the same way, what a gift this gentle, extraordinarily talented man is to the world💚💛🙏🏻
@marydonohoe8200
I love these comments. I must add that the pianist is also a great artist, and the ensemble was exquisite. Thank you both for a moving performance.
@yoyoman1719
Thank you so very much for your unconditional love and support where are you watching from?