Yo-Yo Ma

Born in Paris, France, to Chinese parents, Yo-Yo Ma began playing the cello when he was a child. At the age of five he was already playing Bach’s challenging cello suites. A short time later, Ma immigrated to the United States with his parents, who established a new home in New York City. He graduated from Harvard University and in 1978 won the Avery Fisher Prize for outstanding classical music performance. From then on, his career as a cellist went into high gear. He toured the world, appearing with many major orchestras. In addition, Ma has made numerous recordings and received 15 Grammy Awards. He has also taken classical music to new heights by making a variety of innovative crossover recordings - combining classical with jazz and country. During the last several years, he has also devoted himself to the Silk Road Project, which brings together international musicians and composers to create and perform their music. Any budding musician or music enthusiast will benefit from reading this biography of one of the world’s greatest virtuosos.