Yo-Yo Ma

(simplified Chinese: 马友友; traditional Chinese: 馬友友; pinyin: Mǎ Yǒuyǒu)

French-born American cellist, orchestral composer of Chinese descent, winner of multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. Born 7th October 1955 in Paris, France.

A child prodigy, at age eight he appeared on American television with his sister, Yeou-Cheng Ma, in a concert conducted by Leonard Bernstein. By fifteen, Ma graduated from Trinity School in New York and appeared as a soloist with the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra. Ma studied at the Juilliard School with Leonard Rose. Prior to entering Harvard, Ma played in the Marlboro Festival Orchestra under the direction of nonagenarian cellist and conductor Pablo Casals. He has also played chamber music, often with the pianist Emanuel Ax. Ma's primary performance instrument is the cello nicknamed Petunia, built by Domenico Montagnana in 1733. Another of Ma's cellos, the Davidov Stradivarius, was previously owned by Jacqueline Du Pré who passed it to him upon her death.

Ma is a recipient of the International Center in New York's Award of Excellence. Ma was named UN Peace Ambassador in January 2006 and serves on the US President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities since 2009.