Legendary Cellist Yo-Yo Ma: New Album, New Documentary and No Fear

Mind Your Body with Stephanie Stephens features celebrities and high achievers age 45+ who share their latest projects, healthy living secrets and more. 

When you think “cello,” chances are you next think of Yo-Yo Ma. Born to Chinese parents in Paris in 1955, he began playing the stringed instrument at age 4, no small feat considering the size of a cello and the size of a young boy. Now he plays two cellos for legions of adoring fans: a 1733 Montagnana from Venice and the 1712 Davidoff Stradivarius.

After his family moved to New York when he was 7, Yo-Yo attended the Juilliard School, and at age 16,  he enrolled at Harvard University, graduating in 1976 in liberal arts. He still maintains a collaboration with the university’s Graduate School of Education and its Business School.

Yo-Yo founded the nonprofit Silkroad Project in 2000. He says it is, among other descriptions, “the collective of rooted explorers, inclusive independents, storytelling musicians, passionate learners, connected nomads, and cultural entrepreneurs.” It’s also affiliated with Harvard.

Unending Recognition

With 18 Grammy Awards to his credit, a Kennedy Center Honor, Presidential Medal of Freedom and a slew of other outstanding accolades, you might wonder what’s left for him to accomplish. From his perspective, there’s plenty. He is at once introspective yet open, humble, inquisitive and never short on lively discussion on a wide variety of topics that interest him—and there are many.

He continually seeks new ways to grow artistically and intellectually, never forgetting his focus on music as communication and as a vehicle for the migration of ideas across a range of cultures. Read his bio here and be impressed with what he continues to do.

New Album and Documentary

Listen to his new album with the Grammy-nominated global group, the Silk Road Ensemble—their sixth. Entitled, Sing Me Home, it’s co-produced by Johnny Gandelsman and Grammy winner Kevin Killen. Many of the group’s members are immigrants, and the music pays tribute to the rich cultural heritage of the Balkans, China, Galicia, India, Iran, Ireland, Japan, Mali, Syria and the United States, as well as people of the Roma.

On this album, get ready for guest artists including Abigail Washburn, Lisa Fischer, Rhiannon Giddens, Bill Frisell and others.

The album partners with a new documentary from Oscar and Emmy-winning director Morgan Neville, The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo-Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble. See it in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on June 10, and see the trailer here. To see Yo-Yo Ma on tour now, check out this schedule.

Yo-Yo, you have a new album. And you’ve done a few! What makes this one unique in your discography? 

Now that I’m 60, I’m clearer about what matters to me. I have been thinking about the world forever, traveling around, asking questions, collecting experiences and making long-term friends. When I say “home,” it’s so important because it’s something everybody knows and seeks. It’s the best antidote to fear because fear comes when unexpected things happen, like change, and you feel thrown into disarray. Home gives you that security and comfort. You can always go back home.

Home is in your head too. I made this album with my dear friends, and each one had their idea of home. I am a guest on an album, a member of the ensemble. I didn’t pick a song, but all the songs are like a place where I feel comfortable and welcomed.

So you’re doing this with your Silk Road Ensemble, with a wonderful roster of guest artists thrown into the mix. First tell us briefly about the ensemble?

There’s a synergy and a relationship there because there’s an attraction to people who do things really well and are willing to share. There’s a kind of curiosity and generosity inherent in this group, and it allows people to come back and experiment in a safe environment. You need that to take risks. We give each other that kind of emotional stability. If everybody is a leader, but also a follower, that allows for maximum creativity and people take turns. That’s a pretty good thing.

Johnny Gandelsman had never produced an album before and I knew he had enormous talent in this way. He did this flawlessly while being gentle, nurturing, organized and so creative—who knew? He emerged as a fabulous producer.

You’re known for being an innovator and allowing us to get to know this cello a little better. What is it about the cello, anyway?

I used to wonder “What’s going to give me the most trouble, cause me to get hassled about buying a seat on the plane and where it could go on the plane?” I picked the cello out of many possibilities. At first, I wanted the world’s largest instrument, the double bass. The cello was a compromise. It took me many years to acknowledge it was ok to be a cellist. I strive towards normalcy.

Your documentary will answer many questions. What is it like to be followed around by a curious camera?

You can get used to anything, including a pimple and a mosquito bite. But that camera—well, it’s not really the camera, but it’s the cameraman directly behind the camera. It does become seamless because in the end we’re all after the same kind of narrative. We’re not hiding anything, and we all wanted the right shots. We were happy to share whatever we know, but weren’t really looking for hidden stories. It was really a lovely process.

Did the film turn out as you had originally envisioned? And are you happy with it?

I can’t stand watching myself, and had to watch a number of times while my eyes were taped open and I couldn’t escape. I was so moved the very first time, though, when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September. It was heartwrenching and brought tears to my eyes.

In the film’s trailer, you talk about turning fear into joy. How often are you fearful? And how often do you turn that around to joy?

At my age, I’m not afraid of anything. If I make no sense, people forgive me. If I make sense, people stay, “He still makes sense.” It’s a great time to be.

How do you take care of yourself? This task can be so challenging when you’re on the road.

It is so wonderful when you can take care of yourself. Intermittently, I go to the gym and I swim, especially in summer. When things get really busy, I may stop doing it and then comes the long slide to nowhere. Then I get back on track again. I think really hard about how to get back into balance. All of life is balance, and achieving equilibrium in life is my goal. Then I can have a really good life.