Yo-Yo Ma was only 7 years old when his family immigrated from Paris to New York and only 8 when he made his first appearance on the American national television at a gala concert emceed by Leonard Bernstein, alongside his sister Yeou-Cheng Ma. The child prodigy went on to attend the Julliard School in New York City and become a world-famous cellist.
Over his decades-long career, Ma has produced over 75 albums, composed the soundtracks for some of the 20th century's biggest films, and brought classical music to a much larger audience than ever before. Ma is known for his innovation and relentless pursuit of new challenges; he formed his own Silk Road Ensemble, bringing together musicians from diverse countries all of which are historically linked via the Silk Road.
In 2020, Yo-Yo Ma was included in Time Magazine’s list of Most Influential People. Recently, on October 7th the extraordinary cellist celebrated his 65th birthday, so this seemed like the perfect time to enjoy some of his most memorable pieces and performances. Enjoy!
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Cover image source: World Economic Forum
