Yo Yo Ma: podcast appearances and interviews

Yo-Yo Ma, born on October 7, 1955, is an American cellist known for his exceptional performances and diverse musical collaborations. Born to Chinese parents in Paris, he was recognized as a child prodigy and began studying the cello with his father at the age of four. At age seven, Ma moved with his family to Boston, and later to New York City, where he continued his cello studies at the Juilliard School before attending Harvard University for a liberal arts education. Throughout his career, Ma has performed as a soloist with orchestras around the world and has recorded more than 92 albums encompassing classical, folk, and traditional music from various cultures. His recording repertoire includes American bluegrass, Chinese melodies, Argentine tangos, and Brazilian music. He has also collaborated with a broad array of artists across genres, including Bobby McFerrin, Carlos Santana, Chris Botti, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Miley Cyrus, Zakir Hussain, and Sting. Ma has been recognized with numerous awards, including 20 Grammy Awards, the Avery Fisher Prize, the Glenn Gould Prize, the National Medal of Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Kennedy Center Honors, the Polar Music Prize, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize. Since 2006, he has served as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Ma's primary performance cello is the Davidov Stradivarius, made in 1712 by Antonio Stradivari.