Yo-Yo Ma
1955-present · French-American (Paris/Boston) · Contemporary Classical
Known for: The world's most famous cellist and cultural ambassador whose warmth bridges genres and cultures
Ma was a child prodigy who performed for JFK at 7 and graduated Juilliard at 15. Despite extraordinary talent, he is famously humble and generous. He left a $2.5 million Stradivarius in a taxi and got it back.
His Silk Road Ensemble bridges world cultures. He has won 19 Grammys and is as comfortable playing in a subway station as Carnegie Hall.
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.