Photo credit: Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Photo/Mark Garten

 

Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma¡¯s multi-faceted career is testament to his belief in culture¡¯s power to generate trust and understanding. Whether performing new or familiar works for cello, bringing communities together to explore culture¡¯s role in society, or engaging unexpected musical forms, Yo-Yo strives to foster connections that stimulate the imagination and reinforce our humanity.?

Most recently, Yo-Yo began Our Common Nature, a cultural journey to celebrate the ways that nature can reunite us in pursuit of a shared future. Our Common Nature follows the Bach Project, a 36-community, six-continent tour of J. S. Bach¡¯s cello suites paired with local cultural programming. Both endeavors reflect Yo-Yo¡¯s lifelong commitment to stretching the boundaries of genre and tradition to understand how music helps us to imagine and build a stronger society.

Yo-Yo has recorded more than 120 albums, is the winner of 19 Grammy Awards, and has performed for nine American presidents, most recently on the occasion of President Biden¡¯s inauguration. He has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of the Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize. He has been a Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Messenger of Peace since 2006, and was recognized as one of TIME magazine¡¯s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.