Yo-Yo began to study the cello with his father at age four and soon came with his family to New York, where he spent most of his formative years. Later, his principal teacher was Leonard Rose at the Juilliard School. He sought out a traditional liberal arts education to expand upon his conservatory training, graduating from Harvard University in 1976. He has received numerous awards, including the Avery Fisher Prize (1978), the Glenn Gould Prize (1999), the National Medal of the Arts (2001), the Dan David Prize (2006) and the Sonning Prize (2006). Appointed a CultureConnect Ambassador by the United States Department of State in 2002, Mr. Ma has met with, trained and mentored thousands of students worldwide including Lithuania, Korea, and Lebanon. He joined the National Symphony Orchestra, performing with them at the Kennedy Center and conducted master classes in Washington and New York with the Iraqi musicians. In 2006, Secretary General Kofi Annan named him a U.N. Peace Ambassador.

A 1733 Montagnana cello from Venice
The 1712 Davidoff Stradivarius cello.