Yo-Yo Ma

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, here is some more information about some famous Asian Americans that you might not know much about.

Yo-Yo Ma is one of the world’s greatest musicians. He plays a 1733 Montagnana cello, nicknamed Petunia, and a 1712 Davidoff Stradivarius.

Yo-Yo Ma was born on October 7, 1955, to Chinese parents. His family moved to New York when he was seven years old.

He began playing the cello when he was four years old and made his musical debut at Carnegie Hall when he was nine. He graduated from Julliard School and Harvard University. Yo-Yo Ma has recorded fifty albums and earned more than a dozen Grammy awards. He has performed with many of the world’s major orchestras.

In 1978, Ma married Jill Hornor and had two children. According to research, a relative had hidden Ma’s family genealogy in his home in China to save it from being destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.

In 2006, Ma was named Peace Ambassador by the UN Secretary-General. He is the founding member of the Chinese-American Committee of 100 that addresses the concerns of Americans of Chinese heritage.