Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
October 7, 1955 -Yo-Yo Ma was born on October 7, 1955 in Paris, France to Chinese parents. Ma began playing the cello at the age of four. Later he studied with Janos Scholz and in 1962 he was a student of Leonard Rose at the Juillard School. In 1978 he was the recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize.
Having graduated from Harvard, Ma initially carved a place for himself in the musical world performing Johan Sebastian Bach’s Suites for Unaccompanied Cello. Ma continued to play classical music, but he also ventured out into new areas experimenting with folk music. Then in 1991 he received an honorary doctorate from Harvard.
Ma has often performed special music for children, such as Luke the Iceberg, a musical folk tale about the environment. He has also made guest appearances on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Sesame Street and recorded the album Hush with vocalist Bobby McFerrin. Ma has two children of his own.
Ma returned to J. S. Bach’s music to celebrate the 250th anniversary of this famous composer’s death. At this time he played Bach’s music on his own cello reconfigured as a Baroque instrument.
In addition to classical music Ma has played traditional fiddle music, folk music of territories along the ancient silk trading route, native Chinese music, and the music of the Kalahari bush people of Africa. His most recent undertaking has been the musical score, done in collaboration with composer Tan Dan, for director Ang Lee’s film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Having won 13 Grammy Awards and performing for almost 50 albums, Yo-Yo Ma continues to play and amaze the musical world.
Books
- Liang and the Magic Paintbrush by Demi - This story of a young boy who wishes to be an artist is a tale of courage and belief in oneself. Appropriate for children ages 5-10. (amazon.com has it)
- The Beggar's Magic: A Chinese Tale by Margaret Chang - A story that every child can learn along with as a young boy discovers how to share and show respect to others. Interesting for ages 4-8. (amazon.com has it)
- The Weaving of a Dream: A Chinese Folktale by Marilee Heyer - A beautifully illustrated story in which a young child proves his love for his mother when fairies steal away her tapestry. Appropriate for children ages 4-9. (amazon.com has it)
- The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty and the Beast Tale by Laurence Yep - An age old tale of many cultures, creates a brave and clever character when a young girl offers to marry a dragon in exchange for her father's life. Interesting for children ages 6 and older. (amazon.com has it)
Links
- Yo-YoMa.com by Sony Music - this site has a biography, information about his music, and more.
- Yo-Yo Ma - Biography by Yahoo! Music - this site includes a biography of Ma, links, and information about similar artists.
Related Subjects
Read about two famous classical composers Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Also check out our Music page.
®
AMAZON.COM is the registered trademark of Amazon.com, Inc.