Sophia Wiest

Yo Yo Ma Essay

Yo Yo Ma was born on October 7th, 1995 in Paris, France. Yo Yo Ma is a world

famous cellist and songwriter who has won more than fifteen Grammy Awards and wrote

than a dozen albums. Mas mother was a singer and his father was a music teacher and

composer. His older sister Yeou-Cheng began playing the violin and piano at a very young

age. By the time Ma was three years old he started learning how to play the violin. By the

age of four he started learning how to play the cello. By age five Ma had already memorized

three of J.S. Bachs suites. When Ma was seven years old he and his family moved to New

York City. Ma was a child prodigy and attended Julliard, which is one of the toughest music

schools to get into. By age sixteen Yo Yo Ma enrolled at Harvard University, and graduated

in 1976.

After graduating from Harvard, Yo Yo Ma was about to start his career, but it came to

a halt. Ma suffered from a bad case of scoliosis, he needed back surgery to correct it. Even

though it was a risky surgery, Ma went through with it and his surgery was a success. For six

months after his surgery, Ma was in a full body cast and could not play music during that

time period. After that Ma was in high demand to perform in concerts, sometimes he went

booking his concerts years in advance.

 Ma recorded his first album at the age of twenty two years old, and produced more

than fifty albums. In 1989, Ma performed a solo at the reopening of the Carnegie Hall. In

1993 Ma released a live recording at the Tchaikovsky, to celebrate the one hundred and fifty

anniversary of Tchaikovskys birth. In 1999 Ma performed the opening performance at the

New Jersey Symphony.

Yo Yo Ma has received many awards over the years. Ma won the Avery Fisher Prize

in 1978. This award is given to people who have demonstrated excellence in classical music

performance. This award has no age limit, but they must be United States citizens or a

resident of the United States. In 1999 Ma received The Glenn Gould Prize. This award is

awarded to individuals who contributed a unique lifetime and has contributions through the

arts. This award promotes the connection transformation of lives and the excellence of the

artist. In 2001 Ma received The National Medal of the Arts award. This award is on one of

the highest award, it is given to musicians and artists. This award is presented by the

President of the United States to individuals or a group that deserves the special recognition

by their outstanding contributions of excellence, and availability of the arts in the United

States. In 2006 Ma received the Dan David Prize and The Leonie Sonning Music Prize. The

Dan David Prize is a joint international corporation. This award recognizes and encourages

innovative research that doesnt focus on traditional boundaries and paradigms. This focuses
on justice, creativity and excellence. This award is three dimensional, it represents the past,

present, and future, and shows the human achievement. The past refers to the knowledge that

was expanded of former times. The present recognizes the achievements that shape the

society that we live in today. The future focuses on the things to come, the breakthroughs and

improvements that will come. This three part prize is worth one million dollars. The Leonie

Sonning Music Prize honors the highest composer, instrumentalist, or singer. In 2008 Ma

received The World Economic Forums Crystal Award. In 2010 Ma received the presidential

Medal of Freedom which is the highest civilian honor, this is presented to individuals who

has made contributions to the security or national interests of the United States. In 2012 Ma

received the Polar Music Award, he was known as the leading cellist of our time. Ma

dedicated his heart to journeys of musical exploration. Ma is known as a living proof that

music is communication, passion and the ability to share experience. In 2013 Ma was

awarded The Vilcek Prize in Contemporary Music. Which is rewarded to mainly given to

immigrants that who have made contributions to the American society through their

achievements in biomedical research, the arts, and humanities.

Today Ma continues to play concerts all around the world. Ma loves to play his music

for all people to hear. Ma said he will continue to play for as long as he possible can. At the

age of sixty two he isnt slowing down on how much he performs.

 Work Cited

"About the Prize." The Glenn Gould Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2017

"Biography (Text Only)." Yo-Yo Ma. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.

"Life & Music." Yo-Yo Ma. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.

National Endowment for the Arts." NEA. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.

Prize, Dan David. "About The Prize." The Dan David Prize. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.

"Polar Music Prize Yo Yo Ma." Polar Music Prize. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2017

"The Avery Fisher Prize." The Avery Fisher Prize | Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2017

Yo-Yo Ma." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 07 Apr. 2016. Web. 13 Mar.
2017.