Yo Yo Ma Live Performance

Is a performance by the renown cellist Yo Yo Ma a concert, a recital, an event or all of the above? It is uncommon for a solo musician who plays a classical instrument to achieve the amount of interest and following that has been bestowed on Ma, though he draws audience members in much the same manner as a rock star. Okay, he may not fill a stadium-sized arena, but that may be due more to the manner of the performance than the amount of fans he has. A solo cellist does not run and dance around the stage like rock star, nor do they typically have elaborate light shows or a band to enhance the overall effect. Watching a performance by Yo Yo Ma is much easier to appreciate in a smaller venue with fewer people in attendance. Where ever he is, concert tickets for his performances sell out quickly.

Ma is Chinese though he was born in Paris, France. His father was a music professor which is part of the reason he had such an early exposure to the cello, and great encouragement and support in learning it. They family moved to New York when Ma was four. Prior to playing the cello, which he began studying when he was four, the same year he moved to New York, he had studied violin and viola. By the time he was seven he had already begun public performances, and at that young age he performed for President John F. Kennedy. After high school Ma studied at the Julliard School of Music and Columbia University before finally reenrolling at Harvard, where he received his bachelor’s degree in 1976. He would later receive an honorary doctorate by the same prestigious school. Ma has an enormous repertoire and has released many cd’s featuring a diverse collection of music. He has played with some of the world’s top orchestras and also performs solo shows.

Hip Young Things

Yo Yo Ma Live Performance

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