Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma Bio

Yo-Yo Ma (his real name) is a French-born, Chinese-descended, American cellist whose popularity extends well beyond classical music fans. Both his parents were musicians, moving to New York when he was age seven. He studied stringed instruments before settling on the cello at age five and proved himself a child prodigy. By age seven he had performed for the US presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. At age eight, he performed on TV in a concert conducted by the legendary Leonard Bernstein. After the obligatory attendance at the celebrated Juilliard School of Music studying under Leonard Rose, he began his professional career.

Yo-Yo Ma has contributed to the soundtracks of the films “Seven Years in Tibet” (1997), “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), “Memoirs of a Geisha” (2005), among others. He has released ninety albums; eighteen of his albums have won Grammy awards. He has gone on to perform for presidents and dignitaries around the world. In 2009, president Obama appointed him to serve on the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.