Yo-Yo Ma

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Yo-Yo Ma
Ma with his Luis and Clark carbon fiber cello
Background information
Born	October 7, 1955 (age 51) Paris, France
Genre(s)	Classical
Occupation(s)	Cellist, composer, pedagogue
Instrument(s)	Piano, viola violin, violoncello
Label(s)	CBS, RCA, Sony
Associated acts	Silk Road Ensemble
Website	www.yo-yoma.com
Notable instrument(s)
Violoncello Davydov 1712 Stradivarius Domenico Montagnana 1733 Luis and Clark

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Ma.

Yo-Yo Ma (Traditional Chinese: 馬友友; Simplified Chinese: 马友友; pinyin: Mǎ Yǒuyǒu) (b. October 7, 1955) is a French-born Chinese American cellist, considered one of today's finest practitioners of the cello in the world.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Childhood and early career 1.2 Later life and career 2 Discography 3 Playing style 4 Appearances 5 Awards and recognitions 6 References in media 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Childhood and early career

Ma was born in Paris to Chinese parents and had a musical upbringing. His mother, Marina Lu, was a singer, his father, Hiao-Tsiun Ma, a conductor and composer. His family moved to New York when he was seven years old.

Ma began studying violin, and later viola, before taking up the cello in 1960 at age four. The child prodigy began performing before audiences at age five and at eight, he appeared on American television in a concert conducted by Leonard Bernstein. By age fifteen Ma had already graduated high school and appeared as soloist with the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra in a performance of the Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations.

Ma studied at Juilliard School of Music with Leonard Rose, and attended Columbia University before enrolling at Harvard University, but began questioning whether to continue his studies until, in the 1970s, Pablo Casals's performing inspired him.^{[citation needed]}

However, even before that time, he had steadily gained fame, and had performed with most of the world's major orchestras. His recordings and performances of the Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suites are particularly acclaimed, and he has also played a good deal of chamber music—often with the pianist Emanuel Ax, with whom he has a close friendship back from their days together at the Juilliard in New York.

[edit] Later life and career

Ma married his long-time girlfriend, Jill Hornor, a violinist, in 1977. They have two children, Nicholas and Emily. Ma's elder sister, Yeou-Cheng Ma, also born in Paris, is a violinist, married to Michael Dadap, a New York guitarist. Together, they currently run the Children's Orchestra Society in Long Island, New York.

Ma currently plays with his own Silk Road Ensemble, which has the goal of bringing together musicians from diverse countries all of which are historically linked via the Silk Road, and records on the Sony Classical label.^[1]

Ma's primary performance instrument is the Domenico Montagnana 1733 cello fabricated in Venice. This US$2.5 million, more than two hundred and seventy year old cello, nicknamed Petunia, was once lost after Ma left the instrument behind in a taxicab in New York City.^[2] It was later recovered unharmed. Another of Ma's celli, the Davidov Stradivarius, was previously owned by Jacqueline du Pré who passed it to him upon her death, though its current owner remains anonymous. Though Du Pré previously voiced her frustration with the “unpredictability” of this cello, Ma attributed the comment to du Pré's impassioned style of playing, adding that the Stradivarius cello must be “coaxed” by the player.^{[citation needed]} It was until recently set up in a Baroque manner, since Ma exclusively played Baroque music on it. He also owns a cello made of carbon fibre, by the Luis and Clark company of Boston.^[3]

In 1997 he was featured on the soundtrack to the Hollywood blockbuster of that year starring Brad Pitt, Seven Years in Tibet.

[edit] Discography

Further information: Yo-Yo Ma discography

[edit] Playing style

Ma has been referred to as “omnivorous” by critics, and possesses a more eclectic repertoire than is typical for classical musicians.^[4] A sampling of his versatility in addition to numerous recordings of the standard classical repertoire would include his recordings of 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 Ástor Piazzolla; as well as the music of modern minimalist Philip Glass in such works as the 2002 piece, Naqoyqatsi. In 2006, a recording collaboration was released of the music from the 2005 film, Memoirs of a Geisha.

[edit] Appearances

Ma has appeared in an episode of the animated children's television series, Arthur, as well as on The West Wing, Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He also starred in the visual accompaniment to his recordings of the Bach: Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello.

Ma has also been seen with Apple Computer and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs. Ma is often invited to press events for Jobs's companies, and has performed on stage during event keynote presentations.

He performed a special arrangement of Sting's "Fragile" with Sting and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Ma was named Peace Ambassador by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in January 2006.^[5]

[edit] Awards and recognitions

Dan David Prize

• 2006

Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:

• 1996 Brahms/Beethoven/Mozart: Clarinet Trios (Sony 57499)
• 1993 Brahms: Sonatas for Cello & Piano (Sony 48191)
• 1992 Brahms: Piano Quartets Op. 25, Op. 26) (Sony 45846)
• 1987 Beethoven: Cello and Piano Sonata No. 4 in C & Variations (CBS 42121)
• 1986 Brahms: Cello and Piano Sonatas in E Minor Op. 38, and F Op. 99 (RCA 17022)

Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance:

• 1998 Yo-Yo Ma Premieres - Danielpour, Kirchner, Rouse (Sony Classical 66299)
• 1995 The New York Album - Works of Albert, Bartók & Bloch (Sony 57961)
• 1993 Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante/Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme (Sony 48382)
• 1990 Barber: Cello Concerto, Op. 22/Britten: Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 68 (CBS 44900)

Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance:

• 1985 Bach: The Unaccompanied Cello Suites (CBS 37867)

Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition:

• 1995 The New York Album, Stephen Albert: Cello Concerto (Sony 57961)

Grammy Award for Best Classical Album:

• 1998 Yo-Yo Ma Premieres - Danielpour, Kirchner, Rouse (Sony Classical 66299)

Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album:

• 2004 Obrigado Brazil (Sony 89935)
• 2001 Appalachian Journey (Sony 66782)
• 1999 Soul of the Tango - The Music of Ástor Piazzolla (Sony Classical 63122)

Glenn Gould Prize

• 1999

Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) (honorary)

• 2005 Princeton University

[edit] References in media

In the TV sitcom Seinfeld, the character Cosmo Kramer says Yo-Yo Ma several times in the episode "The Pitch/The Ticket" (episodes 3 and 4 of season 4) after being kicked in the head. Jerry also says "Hes a cellist".

Also in Seinfeld, in the episode titled "The Hamptons," Cosmo Kramer utters "Yo-Yo Ma" in reaction to seeing George's girlfriend topless. Jerry then continues this playful use of double names by saying "Boutros Boutros-Ghali."

Ma has also made a guest appearance on the animated series Arthur, though D.W. kept calling him "Yo Ma-Ma".

Ma appeared in the West Wing episode "Noël", in which he performed at a Christmas dinner at the White House. He is also referenced in the episode "Han".

In the Jackie Chan film The Twin Dragons, about two twins separated at birth (both played by Chan) one twin was a concert pianist and conductor named Ma Yo. However, he appeared holding a violin in the U.S. promotional posters.

In the movie School of Rock, Ma is referenced by Dewey Finn at the teachers table, saying "Yo-Yo Ma's cousin, a little nepatiz" (nepotism).

In The Sopranos episode "University", Silvio Dante states his belief that Yo-Yo is Ma's nickname.

In The Simpsons episode, "Missionary: Impossible", when Homer is being chased by PBS, Yo-Yo Ma is seen in the crowd and later attacks Homer with his cello.

Japanese rapper Sphere of Influence has a rap song titled Yo! Yo! Ma. It features Chinese-American rapper Jin.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Yo-Yo Ma at All Music Guide

v • d • e Glenn Gould Prize Laureates
R. Murray Schafer (1987) • Yehudi Menuhin (1990) • Oscar Peterson (1993) • Toru Takemitsu (1996) • Yo-Yo Ma (1999) • Pierre Boulez (2002) • André Previn (2005)