Jake Shimabukuro Biography - ARTISTdirect Music N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z # Jake Shimabukuro Biography Though many still have trouble pronouncing his last name and the instrument he plays, Jake Shimabukuro (she-ma-BOO-koo-row) is becoming recognized as one of the world's top ukulele (oo-koo-LAY-lay) musicians. His latest release, My Life (Hitchhike Records 1108) is an EP that features six brand-new ukulele arrangements of Jake's favorite tunes by Sarah McLachlan, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and Cyndi Lauper, wrapped around the classic "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". On this heartfelt and beautiful recording, Jake respects the originals while integrating his own soulful, one-of-a-kind interpretations. This follows in the footsteps of Jake's smash hit full-length CD Gently Weeps (2006), which has sold 100,000 copies worldwide. Renowned for lightning-fast fingers and revolutionary playing techniques, Jake views the ukulele as an "untapped source of music with unlimited potential". His virtuosity defies label or category.

Playing jazz, blues, funk, classical, bluegrass, folk, flamenco, and rock, Jake's mission is to show everyone that the ukulele is capable of so much more than only the traditional Hawaiian music many associate it with. At just four years of age, Jake's mother gave him his first ukulele lesson. "When I played my first chord I was hooked", says Jake, " I fell in love with the instrument". That love grew into a deep passion to create and innovate. Experimenting with various techniques allows Jake to create sounds never thought possible on the tiny four-string, two-octave instrument. A true showman, his performance captivates audiences with intricate strumming and plucking, electrifying high-energy grooves and smooth, melodic ballads. His covers of tunes by The Beatles and Led Zeppelin are interpretations that have dazzled and delighted audiences worldwide. From a modest beginning performing at a local Honolulu cafe, Jake has gone on to play renowned venues such as the House of Blues and The Knitting Factory (Los Angeles); The Birchmere (Alexandria, VA); Tipitina's (New Orleans); Joe's Pub, Highline Ballroom, and B.B.

King's Nightclub (NYC); The Bumbershoot Festival (Seattle); The Fuji Rock Festival (Japan); The Music Is Good Medicine Tour covering thirty-two shows (Japan), and many others. Occasional tours with Jimmy Buffett have broadened Jake's experience, regularly exposing his virtuosity and amazing stage presence to crowds of up to 50,000. Speaking of large audiences, Jake has also performed on national television shows such as NBC's The Late Show with Conan O'Brien (twice) and Last Call With Carson Daly, as well as featured on NPR's Morning Edition, Public Radio International's The World, and The Bob Edwards Show on XM Satellite Radio. Selection as the spokesman - three years in a row - for Hawaii Tourism Japan's (HTJ) campaign to market Hawaii to Japan, as well as his frequent tours of the island nation, have made Jake Shimabukuro a household name in Japan. "Rainbow," a track from Walking Down Rainhill, was selected as HTJ's theme song as well as the official Honolulu Marathon theme song in 2004.

In 2006, the Gently Weeps track "Beyond the Break" was selected as the Marathon's theme song and was played as Jake crossed the finish line upon completion of his first marathon run. Jake's musical accomplishments are well known throughout the Hawaiian Islands and Japan, though he is perhaps known equally as well for his outgoing personality and warm heart. In his spare time Jake often visits schools to talk with and play music for the children of Hawaii, hopefully inspiring thousands to put their energy into learning about and playing music. Jake's collaborations and special projects are varied. He's toured with Bela Fleck & the Flecktones (2002, 2005, 2006) and recorded on the band's Little Worlds (2003) album. He recently collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma for a single track on the Grammy-Award winning cellist's album Song's of Joy & Peace (2008). Also joining Jake in the recording studio was renowned pop singer Cyndi Lauper.

Jake is also featured on Ziggy Marley's Grammy-Award winning Love is My Religion (2006), as well as on three CDs and two DVDs by Jimmy Buffett and The Coral Reefer Band. Jake's work with Jimmy also led to his contributions to the soundtrack of the Buffett-produced film, Hoot. This experience gave Jake confidence to take on the challenge of scoring the hit Japanese independent film HULA GIRLS. A heart warming comedy/drama, HULA GIRLS was Japan's official entry to the 2007 Academy Awards Best Foreign Film category and also won four Japanese Academy Awards the same year including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress. Jake's outstanding score was released last year on Hitchhike Records.

Recent career highlights and developments include performing the National Anthem at the 2008 January PGA Opening Drive on Maui (broadcast live on The Golf Channel); a three-week tour of Australia; his upcoming debut at the world-renowned Bonnaroo music festival; and Jake's second Late Night with Conan O'Brien appearance, where he brought the NBC house down with a performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" that brought Conan out his chair to declare it one of the best things he's ever seen on the show! Energy, imagination, and innovation have been Jake's keys to success. He plans to continue recording, performing, collaborating, and staying happy. "I love what I do. I'm forever thankful for music". Famous Montessorians - Community Montessori School Famous Montessorians Famous Montessorians; recently dubbed: Montessori Mafia Jeremy Allaire founder, chairman and CEO of Brightcove Asked to name his most important leadership lessons, this tech visionary says, “… being educated in a Montessori setting. The Montessori ethos was very formative for me because it built into me a belief in self-direction, independent thought, peer collaboration, responsibility.

Those became…my management style, [how I let] people self-direct and collaborate to get things done here.” Joshua Bell grammy award-winning violinist and subject of a pulitzer prize-winning media story A world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell is thoughtful about the role his music plays in society. In a cultural experiment turned Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post story, it is Bell’s humility, not his virtuosity, that most inspires. In suspending his fame to explore the true meaning of his work, Bell exhibits Montessori thinking at its best. Jeff Bezos Amazon founder Amazon’s founder, who proudly cites his Montessori roots, is a study in contradictions: analytical and intuitive, careful and audacious, playful and determined. Critics note his extraordinary ability to learn from others, one hallmark of Montessori education. David Blaine Illusionist & magician David Blaine was a four-year old Montessori student when he fell in love with magic.

Today he’s called “the modern day Houdini” by The New York Times, which says, “He’s taken a craft that’s been around for hundreds of years and done something unique and fresh with it… [His magic] “operates on an uncommonly personal level.” Julia Child celebrity chef & author A student of Mrs. Davie’s Montessori School in Pasadena California, Ms. Child exuded a sense of fun and inspired others to try new things in the kitchen. She credits a Montessori background with her manual dexterity—a key feature of her mastery as a chef—and with the love and joy she found in her work. George Clooney Academy award-winning actor, director, producer, humanitarian, United nation’s messenger of peace. Good pre-school pays off: Harvard economists say kindergartners with great teachers earn more later (and are more likely to attend college and own a home) than others. So what defines “good”? Turns out Montessori’s approach—unfolding students, not molding them—guides the most successful teachers. George Clooney? Montessori preschooler.

Sean “P Diddy” Combs Grammy award-winning musician, rap recording artist and CEO of bad boy records The multi-talented hip hop artist Sean “P Diddy” Combs says he feels fortunate to have attended Mount Vernon Montessori School during his childhood, recalling that, “I feel like I was nurtured into wanting to be somebody special”. John and Joan Cusack actor and screenwriter, and Academy award-nominated actress, respectively. This sister-brother team, each of whom also has a hefty solo reputation, are not conventional heroes. That the former Montessorians’ work is described as “idiosyncratic”, “offbeat” and “fiercely original” is consistent with their belief in “a kind of Joseph Campbell theory of pursuing bliss. Whatever excites you is what you should be doing”. Peter Drucker author, management consultant, “social ecologist”, awarded the presidential medal of freedom Peter Drucker, once a Montessori child, is one of the most influential management gurus in history.

His work focuses on human relationships as opposed to numbers-crunching; his books are filled with lessons on how organizations can bring out the best in people, and how workers can find dignity and community in their work. The Danish-German-American psychologist and psychoanalyst known for his theory on human social development, Erikson may be most famous for coining the phrase “identity crisis.” He found Montessori ideas so compelling that studied them as an adult, acquiring a Montessori teaching certificate but never teaching in a classroom. actress This youngest-ever Screen Actors Award nominee, history’s youngest Academy member, recalls: “I learned to read at two…in a Montessori school where they teach you to read really, really young.” Montessori kids are not technically taught to read (reading skills just emerge in the right environment, we think), but they work at their own pace in age-diverse groups—not in curriculum-dictated lockstep with same-age peers. For Fanning, autonomy led to early achievement throughout her life. Anne Frank memoirist & author Anne Frank’s famous diary is a natural extension of her school experience. She—like all Montessori students—learned to cultivate observation skills and record her thoughts in a journal early on.

Diary of a Young Girl has been translated into 67 languages and is one of the best loved books in the world today. Katharine Graham Pulitzer prize-winning author and Former owner & editor of the Washington Post Crisis forced Katherine Graham to assume control of the Washington Post. Her confidence faltered but—remembering that what matters is how people learn, not what they know—Graham said, “The Montessori method, learning by doing, once again became my stock in trade.” Her reign at the highly- regarded paper lasted more than two decades. Friedensreich Hundertwasser Viennese artist & architect This world-renowned Austrian painter and architect attended a Montessori school in Vienna, which influenced both his affinity for vibrant colors and his love of nature. He collected pebbles and pressed flowers as a child, demonstrating an early interest in small, precious things—which later manifested itself in his work. Helen Hunt academy award-winning actress Helen Hunt, winner of some big-time honors (Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe all one year—a feat nearly unmatched in history) is one cool Montessorian.

Which makes her observation all the more interesting: “If there’s a message, it’s that the unlovable and unattractive parts of ourselves should be embraced. The only real currency between people is what happens when they’re not cool.” Helen Keller political activist, author, lecturer, awarded the presidential medal of freedom, one of Gallup’s most widely admired people of the 20th century Maria Montessori said that if, deaf and blind, Helen Keller became “a woman and writer of exceptional culture, who better than she proves the potency of [the Montessori] method?” In her tribute to Montessori, Helen’s teacher observes, “Only through freedom can people develop self-control, self- dependence, willpower and initiative. This is the lesson Helen’s education has for the world.” Beyoncé Knowles singer, songwriter, actress and fashion designer,16-time grammy award-winner In Houston, at St. Mary of the Purification Montessori, Beyoncé’s talents first emerged. In a school that valued art and academics, a top student and world-class performer was born. Today Beyoncé has been nominated for more Grammys than anyone in history and is one of pop music’s most highly-regarded figures.

United nations Peace Ambassador, winner of 15 Grammy Awards, Presidential Medal of Freedom & National Medal of the Arts A child prodigy cellist and Montessori student, Yo Yo Ma learned to early to follow his own interests and think outside traditional definitions. Today, critics call his artistic style “omnivorous” in reference to his versatility, his notably eclectic repertoire and his musical iconoclasm. HM Queen Noor of Jordan U.N. Advisor, humanitarian activist, memoirist and wife of the late king Hussein of Jordan Her Majesty Queen Noor is an international public servant and an outspoken voice on issues of world peace and justice. Her orientation toward peace directly reflects Maria Montessori’s—herself a three- time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee whose “education for peace” philosophy underpins our approach. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis former first lady and editor As a child, the former First Lady attended Miss Chapin’s School for Girls in Manhattan. Miss Chapin was a pioneer in education for girls; she attended Dr Montessori’s New York lectures in the 1930s and enthusiastically included Montessori methods in her classrooms.

Sergey Brin & Larry Page Google founders “You can’t understand Google,” says Wired, “unless you know [its founders] were Montessori kids… In a Montessori school, you paint because you have something to express or you just want to… not because the teacher said so. This is baked into Larry and Sergey… it’s how their brains were programmed early on.” youngest-ever American Rhodes scholar, author, oxford research fellow, oxford lecturer on global health politics At 18, Devi Sridhar (a former Montessorian) spoke five languages, played both tennis and the violin expertly, and co-wrote a book on Indian mythology. In 2002 she became the youngest Rhodes Scholar in the program’s 100-year history. Interested in health as a young person, she now directs CEG’s global health governance project. Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Taylor Swift, country music’s youngest-ever Entertainer of the Year, attended Alvernia Montessori School in Berks County, Pa.

The singer is widely described as “the product of homegrown values”; New York Times calls her “one of pop’s finest songwriters, country music’s foremost pragmatist, and more in touch with her inner life than most adults”. Jimmy Wales founder of Wikipedia As a child, Wales was An avid reader with an acute intellectual curiosity, to which he credits his Montessori school’s philosophy of education. Will Wright video game pioneer, creator of the Sims The video game innovator says Montessori was the “imagination amplifier” that prepared him for creating The Sims, Sim City, Spore and Super Mario Brothers. “Sim City comes right out of Montessori… It’s all about learning on your own terms.” Leave a Reply Yo-Yo Ma facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Yo-Yo Ma COPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (born 1955) is respected as one of the greatest cellists of the twentieth century. He brought a new vitality to the art of cello playing through his inspired adaptations of non-traditional music styles for the classical instrument.

Spirited and fun-loving Yo-Yo Ma brought new dimensions to the classic art of cello playing. Immediately upon his arrival on the music scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s he ranked among the finest cellists of the twentieth century. As his talent matured he was respected for his extraordinary interpretive skill. Over time Ma earned admiration for his intriguing adaptations of non-traditional musical styles for the cello. In addition to symphonic orchestral performances and unaccompanied Bach, Ma augmented the classic cello repertoire when he incorporated jazz, bluegrass, tango, and traditional African musical styles into his performances. Critics applauded his creative adaptations that offered a fresh perspective and imparted a new vitality to a classic instrument. Yo-Yo Ma was born in Paris, France on October 7, 1955. His father, Hiao-Tsiun Ma, was a violinist and musicologist from China's Shanghai region. He specialized in composition and was widely respected for his talent as a music teacher. Ma's mother was a mezzo-soprano from Hong Kong. Ma's sister, older by four years, played the violin before obtaining a medical degree and becoming a pediatrician.

Ma spent his early childhood in France. He and an older sister began their musical studies on the violin. Ma's father taught the boy to play as a toddler. By the age of four Ma requested a much larger instrument and, left to his own devices, would have selected a double bass. His parents agreed to provide him with a cello on the condition that he would make no further requests for other instruments. As it was, they had difficulty locating a small cello, and Ma's earliest lessons were taken on a viola rigged with an endpin to simulate a cello. He began cello lessons with his father and progressed rapidly. Hiao-Tsiun Ma used Bach suites as music lessons, but simplified the learning process for his son by teaching only two measures at a time. Thus Ma learned to play very difficult music with ease, and his precocious talent surfaced quickly. After one year of training, he knew three of the Bach suites from memory. A Prodigy and Student When he was seven years old, the family moved to New York City, where Ma had the good fortune to be heard by such great musicians as Pablo Casals and Isaac Stern.

In 1963, Leonard Bernstein invited Ma and his sister to perform with other youngsters at the "American Pageant of the Arts" in Washington D.C., a fund-raising event for the future Kennedy Center. Stern referred the family to cellist Leonard Rose of the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City as an instructor for Ma. When he completed high school at the age of 15, Ma enrolled at the Juilliard School. The following summer he attended the prestigious Meadowmount music camp. He was far from disciplined in his musical studies and admitted to leaving his cello in the rain on occasion. When he returned to New York, Ma left Juilliard and enrolled at Columbia University, determined to learn about life outside the practice rooms and music halls. Ma's adolescent rebelliousness manifested itself further when, unbeknownst to his parents, he dropped his classes at Columbia without completing a single semester. He then transferred to Harvard, where his sister was also in attendance. Ma continued to study cello under Leon Kirchner and Luise Vosgerchian while majoring in humanities. Patricia Zander also worked with Ma, both as an accompanist and musical coach.

Ma performed professionally during his college years, and contributed graciously to academic programs as well. He formed a trio with two classmates, violinist Lynn Chang and pianist Richard Kogan. Among their performances they appeared at a benefit for Harvard's Phillips Brooks House student volunteer program. Ma at once both amazed and annoyed his teachers by his attitude. He was clearly a prodigy but avoided practice at all cost. He rejected instruction in technique yet, left to his own devices, produced sounds of remarkable quality. In 1976, he had the opportunity to study in a master class under the eminent cellist, Rostropovich. The master chided Ma incessantly and refused to patronize the young cellist for his talent. Rostropovich berated Ma to reach deeper into the music and to use the bow to "pull the soul" of the composition through the strings. Those in observance understood that the senior cellist would have ignored a less talented student. Ma graduated from Harvard, then remained on campus as an artist in residence at the Leverett House from 1979 through 1981. There he pleased listeners with his talent and pleased himself with experimentation.

In 1980, he performed Ivan Tcherepnin's Flores Musicales in an electronically amplified quartet. Also during those years, he played with the Harvard Chamber Orchestra with Leon Kirchner. Accomplished Virtuoso Ma is a highly respected member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He made his first recording at the age of 22 and went on to produce more than 50 albums. He has made guest appearances with the Philadelphia Symphony, Israeli Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and orchestras in Toronto and Minnesota. In celebration of his guest appearance with the San Francisco Symphony, that body commissioned Richard Danielpour to create a cello concerto for Ma. In 1987, Ma performed at the grand reopening of the renovated Carnegie Hall. In 1989, he gave a solo performance at a United Nations Day concert with Charles Dutoit conducting. In 1993 RCA Victor released Ma's rendition of "Variations on a Rococo Theme," recorded live at the Tchaikovsky: Gala in Leningrad, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Tchaikovsky's birth.

Also heard on that album were Jessye Norman, Itzhak Perlman, and the Leningrad Philharmonic under the baton of Yuri Temirkanov. When Ma performed at the September opening of the New Jersey Symphony's 1999 season, Leslie Kandell of New York Times referred to the Elgar Concerto, his opening rendition, as "a fine vehicle for Mr. Ma's passionate manner and seamless bow changes." When Ma performed with Itzhak Perlman and James Levine critics labeled them a "dream trio." Inspired by Bach From early youth, Ma retained the affinity that he learned from his father for the works of Bach. According to Ma he was instructed by his father not only to memorize the pieces—measure by measure—but to play Bach at bedtime as a way to relax. Poignantly it was the dutiful son, Yo-Yo Ma, who later serenaded with the Bach 5th Suite, "Sarabande," at Hiao-Tsiun Ma's deathbed. In January 1991, Ma performed the entire collection of six Bach suites as a single concert at Carnegie Hall. The marathon lasted well over four hours and was timed around a dinner break and two intermissions.

The pressure for Ma was extreme. Prior to the concert he fasted for several hours and summoned reserves of mental and physical stamina. Ma released recordings of the six unaccompanied Bach suites for cello in 1997 and 1998, for the second time in his career. The album, called "Yo-Yo Ma Inspired by Bach," was also the basis of a six-part television series that aired on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). Ma's earlier recording of the six suites was well received. His second interpretation, according to Terry Teachout in Time, "is a major musical achievement. Also a distinct improvement on the version he recorded at the age of 26." The updated release exemplified the dynamic approach that Ma brought to his music. Critics praised his ability to play a composition repeatedly, yet interpret it differently each time. Eclectic Dimensions Ma, who named his cello "Sweetie Pie," prepares for performance with meticulous care, yet interprets impromptu on stage in response to the audience; in that way he keeps the music alive. "He is an exceptional musician who rarely, if ever, performs with less than complete commitment. His tone is trademarkable.

His physical presence reassuringly expressive, and he smiles," said Philip Kennicott of the Washington Post. Ma personally confided to Lloyd Schwartz of Harvard Magazine, "the desire to communicate with an audience is almost a separate development. That's the main reason I've chosen to perform music. Say there's a twenty-minute concerto. In those twenty minutes I'd like to make that music live, come to life [for the audience]. I can always tell, hear that special hush." Critics failed to concur on a categorical definition for Ma. Some classified him as a crossover artist; others leaned towards terms like "postmodern" and "eclectic" to describe the man deemed perhaps the finest cellist alive. His interest in electronic music, his mastery of period music, and his espousal of modern genres are intriguing. Ma's repertoire and credits by the end of the 1990s included performances with jazz vocalists, country fiddlers, tango musicians, and other non-classical artists.

Known for his irrepressible character, Ma played bluegrass cello at Carnegie Hall in 1999; his recording, Appalachia Waltz, with fiddler Mark O'Connor and Edgar Meyer on bass, topped music charts for well over a year. In 1991, he recorded his Hush album with pop artist Bobby McFerrin. In 1993, Ma went to the Kalahari Desert to record with the bushmen. He played for them, showed them how to bow, and learned about their native instruments. The trip served as an engaging documentary-educational, inspirational, entertaining and above all captivating in the spirit of Yo-Yo Ma. In 1997, Ma released Soul of the Tango on Sony Classics, after delving into most other American genres. Ma's recording was based largely on the work of the late Argentine Tango master, Astor Piazzolla. Teacher and Friend Ma lives in Winchester, Massachusetts with his wife, Jill Horner, and two children. His love of children led to guest appearances on the Public Broadcasting System series, "Sesame Street" and "Mister Rogers Neighborhood." Ma considered those to be his finest moments.

It was appropriate that his parents named him Yo-Yo, which means "friend." He frequents schools and shares his music with children at every opportunity. Ma regularly attends the annual festival at Tanglewood Music Center in Berkshire Hills, Massachusetts where he leads master classes. In the spring of 1994 he joined with 19 other prominent cellists in providing classes at the biennial Manchester International Cello Festival. That episode turned memorable when Ma performed David Wilde's recent work, "Cellist of Sarajevo," a composition inspired by the haunting true life experience of a Bosnian cellist named Smailovic who, by chance, was in attendance at Ma's performance and was honored to hear the piece for the first time in his life. Ma's cello collection includes a 1722 Goffriller and a 1712 Davidoff Stradivari bequeathed to him by the late cellist Jacqueline Du Pre. His preferred concert cello is a restored 1733 Stradivari called the Montagnana. The warm baritone of the Montagnana is a source of comfort to Ma.

When he misplaced the $2.5 million instrument in a New York City taxicab one day, he sighed in gratitude upon its return, "The instrument is my voice." Ma's mother completed a biography of her son in 1996. The book, published in China, was translated into English as My Son, Yo-Yo. Further Reading The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright The Columbia University Press Yo-Yo Ma (mä), 1955–, American cellist, b. Paris. The son of musicologist Hiao-Tsun Ma, who left China in the 1930s, he was a musical prodigy, giving a public recital in Paris at the age of six. In 1963 he and his family settled in New York City, where he began attending the Julliard School of Music at the age of nine. He later studied at Harvard. Ma appeared at Carnegie Hall in 1964 and won the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize in 1978.

One of the era's premier string players, he continues to appear as a soloist with many of the world's best orchestras and is a superlative chamber player and frequent recital performer. Ma is acclaimed for his extraordinarily broad repertoire, ravishing tone, superb musicianship, and dazzling technique, and is noted for his seeming state of passionate transport while performing. In 1998 Ma founded the Silk Road Project, a cross-cultural musical enterprise that includes concerts, festivals, recordings, publications, and the commissioning of new works.

Cite this article Famous Montessori Students Famous Montessori Students Immediate availability for Primary (ages 3-6) Toddler (15m - 3yrs) availability starting summer 2017 Also enrolling for the 2017-2018 School Year CONTACT US Famous Montessori Students “[Montessori…]: the surest route to joining the creative elite, which are so overrepresented by the schools’ alumni that one might begin to suspect a Montessori mafia” Read the 2011 Wall St Journal article JOSHUA BELL – Grammy award-winning violinist and subject of a Pulitzer prize-winning media story A world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell is thoughtful about the role his music plays in society. In a cultural experiment turned Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post story, it is Bell’s humility, not his virtuosity, that most inspires. In suspending his fame to explore the true meaning of his work, Bell exhibits Montessori thinking at its best. Wikipedia profile JEFF BEZOS – Amazon founder Amazon’s founder, who proudly cites his Montessori roots, is a study in contradictions: analytical and intuitive, careful and audacious, playful and determined.

Critics note his extraordinary ability to learn from others, one hallmark of Montessori education. Wikipedia profile DAVID BLAINE – Illusionist & magician David Blaine was a four-year old Montessori student when he fell in love with magic. Today he’s called “the modern day Houdini” by The New York Times, which says, “He’s taken a craft that’s been around for hundreds of years and done something unique and fresh with it… [His magic] “operates on an uncommonly personal level.” T BERRY BRAZELTON – Pediatrician, child psychiatrist, author and harvard medical school professor emeritus Dr. Brazelton’s positive, child-oriented philosophy of parenting has influenced countless families to raise children who are “confident, caring, and hungry to learn”. Brazelton attended a Montessori school as a child and now supports Montessori philosophy through his lectures and publications. Wikipedia profile JULIA CHILD – Celebrity chef & author A student of Mrs. Davie’s Montesorri School in Pasadena California, Ms. Child exuded a sense of fun and inspired others to try new things in the kitchen.

She credits a Montessori background with her manual dexterity—a key feature of her mastery as a chef—and with the love and joy she found in her work. Wikipedia profile GEORGE CLOONEY – Academy award-winning actor, director, producer, humanitarian, United nations messenger of peace Good pre-school pays off: Harvard economists say kindergartners with great teachers earn more later (and are more likely to attend college and own a home) than others. So what defines “good”? Turns out Montessori’s approach—unfolding students, not molding them—guides the most successful teachers. George Clooney? Montessori pre-schooler. SEAN “P Diddy” COMBS – Grammy award-winning musician, rap recording artist and ceo of bad boy records The multi-talented hip hop artist Sean “P Diddy” Combs says he feels fortunate to have attended Mount Vernon Montessori School during his childhood, recalling that, “I feel like I was nurtured into wanting to be somebody special”.

Wikipedia profile JOHN and JOAN CUSACK – Actor and screenwriter, and Academy award-nominated actress, respectively This sister-brother team, each of whom also has a hefty solo reputation, are not conventional heroes. That the former Montessorians’ work is described as “idiosyncratic”, “offbeat” and “fiercely original” is consistent with their belief in “a kind of Joseph Campbell theory of pursuing bliss. Whatever excites you is what you should be doing”. Wikipedia profile (Joan) ANTHONY DOERR – Author This internationally-acclaimed American author was once a Montessori student of Post Oak’s Head of School, John Long. The sense of wonder that infuses his luminous, precisely-crafted prose is evidence of the gifts, and the love of nature, that were nurtured in him from childhood. Wikipedia profile PETER DRUCKER – Author, Management consultant, “social ecologist”, awarded the presidential medal of freedom Peter Drucker, once a Montessori child, is one of the most influential management gurus in history.

His work focuses on human relationships as opposed to numbers-crunching; his books are filled with lessons on how organizations can bring out the best in people, and how workers can find dignity and community in their work. Wikipedia profile ERIK ERIKSON – Psychologist & author The Danish-German-American psychologist and psychoanalyst known for his theory on human social development, Erikson may be most famous for coining the phrase “identity crisis”. He found Montessori ideas so compelling that studied them as an adult, acquiring a Montessori teaching certificate but never teaching in a classroom. Wikipedia profile DAKOTA FANNING – Actor This youngest-ever Screen Actors Award nominee, history’s youngest Academy member, recalls: “I learned to read at two…in a Montessori school where they teach you to read really, really young.” Montessori kids are not technically taught to read (reading skills just emerge in the right environment, we think), but they work at their own pace in age-diverse groups—not in curriculum-dictated lockstep with same-age peers. For Fanning, autonomy led to early achievement throughout her life.

Wikipedia profile ANNE FRANK – Memoirist & author Anne Frank’s famous diary is a natural extension of her school experience. She—like all Montessori students—learned to cultivate observation skills and record her thoughts in a journal early on. Diary of a Young Girl has been translated into 67 languages and is one of the best loved books in the world today. Wikipedia profile KATHARINE GRAHAM – Pulitzer prize-winning author and Former owner & editor of the Washington Post Crisis forced Katherine Graham to assume control of the Washington Post. Her confidence faltered but—remembering that what matters is how people learn, not what they know—Graham said, “The Montessori method, learning by doing, once again became my stock in trade.” Her reign at the highly-regarded paper lasted more than two decades. Wikipedia profile FRIEDENSREICH HUNDERTWASSER – Viennese artist & architect This world-renowned Austrian painter and architect attended a Montessori school in Vienna, which influenced both his affinity for vibrant colors and his love of nature. He collected pebbles and pressed flowers as a child, demonstrating an early interest in small, precious things—which later manifested itself in his work.

Wikipedia profile HELEN HUNT – Academy award-winning actor Helen Hunt, winner of some big time honors (Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe all one year—a feat nearly unmatched in history) is one cool Montessorian. Which makes her observation all the more interesting: “If there’s a message, it’s that the unlovable and unattractive parts of ourselves should be embraced. The only real currency between people is what happens when they’re not cool.” Wikipedia profile HELEN KELLER – Political activist, author, lecturer, awarded the presidential medal of freedom, one of gallup’s most widely admired people of the 20th century Maria Montessori said that if, deaf and blind, Helen Keller became “a woman and writer of exceptional culture, who better than she proves the potency of [the Montessori] method?” In her tribute to Montessori, Helen’s teacher observes, “Only through freedom can people develop self control, self dependence, willpower and initiative. This is the lesson Helen’s education has for the world.” Wikipedia profile BEYONCE KNOWLES – Singer, songwriter, actress and fashion designer,16-time Grammy award-winner In Houston, at St.

Mary of the Purification Montessori, Beyoncé’s talents first emerged. In a school that valued both art and academics, a top student and world-class performer was born. Today Beyoncé has been nominated for more Grammys than anyone in history and is one of pop music’s most highly-regarded figures. Wikipedia profile YO YO MA – United nations Peace Ambassador, winner of 15 Grammy Awards, Presidential Medal of Freedom & National Medal of the Arts A child prodigy cellist and Montessori student, Yo Yo Ma learned to early to follow his own interests and think outside traditional definitions. Today, critics call his artistic style “omnivorous” in reference to his versatility, his notably eclectic repertoire and his musical iconoclasm. Wikipedia profile GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ – Nobel prize-winning author Marquez said his Montessori education gave him “the desire to kiss literature” and states, “I do not believe there is a method better than Montessori for making children sensitive to the beauties of the world and awakening their curiosity regarding the secrets of life.” Wikipedia profile HM QUEEN NOOR of JORDAN – U.N.

Advisor, humanitarian activist, memoirist and wife of the late king hussein of Jordan Her Majesty Queen Noor is an international public servant and an outspoken voice on issues of world peace and justice. Her orientation toward peace directly reflects Maria Montessori’s—herself a three-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee whose “education for peace” philosophy underpins our approach. Wikipedia profile JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS – Former first lady and doubleday editor As a child, the former First Lady attended Miss Chapin’s School for Girls in Manhattan. Miss Chapin was a pioneer in education for girls; she attended Dr Montessori’s New York lectures in the 1930s and enthusiastically included Montessori methods in her classrooms. Wikipedia profile SERGEY BRIN & LARRY PAGE – Google founders “You can’t understand Google,” says Wired, “unless you know [its founders] were Montessori kids… In a Montessori school, you paint because you have something to express or you just want to… not because the teacher said so.

This is baked into Larry and Sergey… it’s how their brains were programmed early on.” Barbara Walters interview (video) DEVI SRIDHAR – Youngest-ever American Rhodes scholar, author, oxford research fellow, oxford lecturer on global health politics At 18, Devi Sridhar (a former Montessorian) spoke five languages, played both tennis and the violin expertly, and co-wrote a book on Indian mythology. In 2002 she became the youngest Rhodes Scholar in the program’s 100-year history. Interested in health as a young person, she now directs CEG’s global health governance project. Devi Sridhar profile TAYLOR SWIFT – Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Taylor Swift, country music’s youngest-ever Entertainer of the Year, attended Alvernia Montessori School in Berks County Pa. The singer is widely described as “the product of homegrown values”; New York Times calls her “one of pop’s finest songwriters, country music’s foremost pragmatist, and more in touch with her inner life than most adults”.

Wikipedia profile WILL WRIGHT – Video game pioneer, creator of the Sims The videogame innovator says Montessori was the “imagination amplifier” that prepared him for creating The Sims, Sim City, Spore and Super Mario Brothers. “SimCity comes right out of Montessori… It’s all about learning on your own terms.” Famous Montessori Students | Knysna Montessori School Famous Montessori Students Alumni News JOSHUA BELL – Grammy award-winning violinist and subject of a Pulitzer prize-winning media story A world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell is thoughtful about the role his music plays in society. In a cultural experiment turned Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post story, it is Bell’s humility, not his virtuosity, that most inspires. In suspending his fame to explore the true meaning of his work, Bell exhibits Montessori thinking at its best. Wikipedia profile JEFF BEZOS – Amazon founder Amazon’s founder, who proudly cites his Montessori roots, is a study in contradictions: analytical and intuitive, careful and audacious, playful and determined. Critics note his extraordinary ability to learn from others, one hallmark of Montessori education.

Wikipedia profile DAVID BLAINE – Illusionist & magician David Blaine was a four-year old Montessori student when he fell in love with magic. Today he’s called “the modern day Houdini” by The New York Times, which says, “He’s taken a craft that’s been around for hundreds of years and done something unique and fresh with it… [His magic] “operates on an uncommonly personal level.” T BERRY BRAZELTON – Pediatrician, child psychiatrist, author and harvard medical school professor emeritus Dr. Brazelton’s positive, child-oriented philosophy of parenting has influenced countless families to raise children who are “confident, caring, and hungry to learn”. Brazelton attended a Montessori school as a child and now supports Montessori philosophy through his lectures and publications. Wikipedia profile JULIA CHILD – Celebrity chef & author A student of Mrs Davie’s Montesorri School in Pasadena California, Ms Child exuded a sense of fun and inspired others to try new things in the kitchen. She credits a Montessori background with her manual dexterity—a key feature of her mastery as a chef—and with the love and joy she found in her work.

Wikipedia profile GEORGE CLOONEY – Academy award-winning actor, director, producer,humanitarian, United nations messenger of peace Good pre-school pays off: Harvard economists say kindergartners with great teachers earn more later (and are more likely to attend college and own a home) than others. So what defines “good”? Turns out Montessori’s approach—unfolding students, not molding them—guides the most successful teachers. George Clooney? Montessori pre-schooler. SEAN “P Diddy” COMBS – Grammy award-winning musician, rap recording artist and ceo of bad boy records The multi-talented hip hop artist Sean “P Diddy” Combs says he feels fortunate to have attended Mount Vernon Montessori School during his childhood, recalling that, “I feel like I was nurtured into wanting to be somebody special”. Wikipedia profile JOHN and JOAN CUSACK – Actor and screenwriter, and Academy award-nominated actress, respectively This sister-brother team, each of whom also has a hefty solo reputation, are not conventional heroes.

That the former Montessorians’ work is described as “idiosyncratic”, “offbeat” and “fiercely original” is consistent with their belief in “a kind of Joseph Campbell theory of pursuing bliss. Whatever excites you is what you should be doing”. Wikipedia profile (Joan) ANTHONY DOERR – Author This internationally-acclaimed American author was once a Montessori student of Post Oak’s Head of School, John Long. The sense of wonder that infuses his luminous, precisely-crafted prose is evidence of the gifts, and the love of nature, that were nurtured in him from childhood. Wikipedia profile PETER DRUCKER – Author, Management consultant, “social ecologist”, awarded the presidential medal of freedom Peter Drucker, once a Montessori child, is one of the most influential management gurus in history. His work focuses on human relationships as opposed to numbers-crunching; his books are filled with lessons on how organizations can bring out the best in people, and how workers can find dignity and community in their work.

Wikipedia profile ERIK ERIKSON – Psychologist & author The Danish-German-American psychologist and psychoanalyst known for his theory on human social development, Erikson may be most famous for coining the phrase “identity crisis”. He found Montessori ideas so compelling that studied them as an adult, acquiring a Montessori teaching certificate but never teaching in a classroom. Wikipedia profile DAKOTA FANNING – Actor This youngest-ever Screen Actors Award nominee, history’s youngest Academy member, recalls: “I learned to read at two…in a Montessori school where they teach you to read really, really young.” Montessori kids are not technically taught to read (reading skills just emerge in the right environment, we think), but they work at their own pace in age-diverse groups—not in curriculum-dictated lockstep with same-age peers. For Fanning, autonomy led to early achievement throughout her life. Wikipedia profile ANNE FRANK – Memoirist & author Anne Frank’s famous diary is a natural extension of her school experience. She—like all Montessori students—learned to cultivate observation skills and record her thoughts in a journal early on.

Diary of a Young Girl has been translated into 67 languages and is one of the best loved books in the world today. Wikipedia profile KATHARINE GRAHAM – Pulitzer prize-winning author and Former owner & editor of the Washington Post Crisis forced Katherine Graham to assume control of the Washington Post. Her confidence faltered but—remembering that what matters is how people learn, not what they know—Graham said, “The Montessori method, learning by doing, once again became my stock in trade.” Her reign at the highly-regarded paper lasted more than two decades. Wikipedia profile FRIEDENSREICH HUNDERTWASSER – Viennese artist & architect This world-renowned Austrian painter and architect attended a Montessori school in Vienna, which influenced both his affinity for vibrant colors and his love of nature. He collected pebbles and pressed flowers as a child, demonstrating an early interest in small, precious things—which later manifested itself in his work. Wikipedia profile HELEN HUNT – Academy award-winning actor Helen Hunt, winner of some big time honors (Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe all one year—a feat nearly unmatched in history) is one cool Montessorian.

Which makes her observation all the more interesting: “If there’s a message, it’s that the unlovable and unattractive parts of ourselves should be embraced. The only real currency between people is what happens when they’re not cool.” Wikipedia profile HELEN KELLER – Political activist, author, lecturer, awarded the presidential medal of freedom, one of gallup’s most widely admired people of the 20th century Maria Montessori said that if, deaf and blind, Helen Keller became “a woman and writer of exceptional culture, who better than she proves the potency of [the Montessori] method?” In her tribute to Montessori, Helen’s teacher observes, “Only through freedom can people develop self control, self dependence, willpower and initiative. This is the lesson Helen’s education has for the world.” Wikipedia profile BEYONCE KNOWLES – Singer, songwriter, actress and fashion designer,16-time Grammy award-winner In Houston, at St. Mary of the Purification Montessori, Beyoncé’s talents first emerged. In a school that valued both art and academics, a top student and world-class performer was born.

Today Beyoncé has been nominated for more Grammys than anyone in history and is one of pop music’s most highly-regarded figures. Wikipedia profile YO YO MA – United nations Peace Ambassador, winner of 15 Grammy Awards, Presidential Medal of Freedom & National Medal of the Arts A child prodigy cellist and Montessori student, Yo Yo Ma learned to early to follow his own interests and think outside traditional definitions. Today, critics call his artistic style “omnivorous” in reference to his versatility, his notably eclectic repertoire and his musical iconoclasm. Wikipedia profile GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ – Nobel prize-winning author Marquez said his Montessori education gave him “the desire to kiss literature” and states, “I do not believe there is a method better than Montessori for making children sensitive to the beauties of the world and awakening their curiosity regarding the secrets of life.” Wikipedia profile HM QUEEN NOOR of JORDAN – U.N. Advisor, humanitarian activist, memoirist and wife of the late king hussein of Jordan Her Majesty Queen Noor is an international public servant and an outspoken voice on issues of world peace and justice.

Her orientation toward peace directly reflects Maria Montessori’s—herself a three-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee whose “education for peace” philosophy underpins our approach. Wikipedia profile JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS – Former first lady and doubleday editor As a child, the former First Lady attended Miss Chapin’s School for Girls in Manhattan. Miss Chapin was a pioneer in education for girls; she attended Dr Montessori’s New York lectures in the 1930s and enthusiastically included Montessori methods in her classrooms. Wikipedia profile SERGEY BRIN & LARRY PAGE – Google founders “You can’t understand Google,” says Wired, “unless you know [its founders] were Montessori kids… In a Montessori school, you paint because you have something to express or you just want to… not because the teacher said so.

This is baked into Larry and Sergey… it’s how their brains were programmed early on.” Barbara Walters interview (video) DEVI SRIDHAR – Youngest-ever American Rhodes scholar, author, oxford research fellow, oxford lecturer on global health politics At 18, Devi Sridhar (a former Montessorian) spoke five languages, played both tennis and the violin expertly, and co-wrote a book on Indian mythology. In 2002 she became the youngest Rhodes Scholar in the program’s 100-year history. Interested in health as a young person, she now directs CEG’s global health governance project. Devi Sridhar profile TAYLOR SWIFT – Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Taylor Swift, country music’s youngest-ever Entertainer of the Year, attended Alvernia Montessori School in Berks County Pa. The singer is widely described as “the product of homegrown values”; New York Times calls her “one of pop’s finest songwriters, country music’s foremost pragmatist, and more in touch with her inner life than most adults”.

Wikipedia profile WILL WRIGHT – Video game pioneer, creator of the Sims The videogame innovator says Montessori was the “imagination amplifier” that prepared him for creating The Sims, Sim City, Spore and Super Mario Brothers. “SimCity comes right out of Montessori… It’s all about learning on your own terms.” Yo-Yo Ma - Musician - Music database - Radio Swiss Jazz Yo-Yo Ma From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is a Chinese American cellist. [2] Born in Paris, he spent his schooling years in New York City and was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from the Juilliard School and Harvard University and has enjoyed a prolific career as both a soloist performing with orchestras around the world and a recording artist. He has recorded more than 90 albums and has received 17 Grammy Awards. In addition to recordings of the standard classical repertoire, he has recorded a wide variety of folk music such as American bluegrass music, traditional Chinese melodies, the tangos of Argentinian composer Ástor Piazzolla, and Brazilian music.

He also collaborated with Grammy Award-winning jazz singer Bobby McFerrin . Ma's primary performance instrument is a Montagnana cello built in 1733 valued at US$2.5 million. He has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2006. [3] He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2001, [4] Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, and the Polar Music Prize in 2012. [5] Early life and studies Yo-Yo Ma was born in Paris on October 7, 1955, to Chinese parents and had a musical upbringing. His mother, Marina Lu, was a singer and his father, Hiao-Tsiun Ma, was a violinist and professor of music at Nanjing National Central University (predecessor of the present-day Nanjing University). [6] The family moved to New York when Ma was seven years old. [7] [8] At a young age, Ma began studying violin and piano and later viola, finally settling on the cello in 1960 at age four.

According to Ma, his first choice was the double bass due to its large size, but he compromised and took up cello instead. The child prodigy began performing before audiences at age five and performed for Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy when he was seven. [9] [10] At age eight, he appeared on American television with his sister, Yeou-Cheng Ma, in a concert conducted by Leonard Bernstein . In 1964, Isaac Stern introduced them on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and they performed the Sonata of Sammartini. He attended Trinity School in New York but transferred to the Professional Children's School, from which he graduated at age 15. [11] He appeared as a soloist with the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra in a performance of the Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations. Ma studied at The Juilliard School at age 19 with Leonard Rose and attended Columbia University but dropped out. He later enrolled at Harvard College. Prior to entering Harvard, Ma played in the Marlboro Festival Orchestra under the direction of cellist and conductor Pablo Casals .

Ma would ultimately spend four summers at the Marlboro Music Festival after meeting and falling in love with Mount Holyoke College sophomore and festival administrator Jill Hornor his first summer there in 1972. [12] However, even before that time, Ma had steadily gained fame and had performed with many of the world's major orchestras. He has also played chamber music, often with the pianist Emanuel Ax , with whom he has a close friendship back from their days together at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. Ma received his bachelor's degree from Harvard in 1976. [13] In 1991, he received an honorary doctorate from Harvard. [14] Career In 1997, he was featured on John Williams ' soundtrack to the Hollywood film Seven Years in Tibet. In 2000, he was heard on the soundtrack of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and, in 2003, on that of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. He collaborated with Williams again on the original score for the 2005 film Memoirs of a Geisha.

Ma has also worked with Italian composer Ennio Morricone and has recorded Morricone's compositions of the Dollars Trilogy including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in America, The Mission, and The Untouchables. He also has over 90 albums, 18 of which are Grammy Award winners. Ma is a recipient of the International Center in New York's Award of Excellence. Ma was named Peace Ambassador by then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in January 2006. [15] He is a founding member of the influential Chinese-American Committee of 100, which addresses the concerns of Americans of Chinese heritage. [16] On November 3, 2009, President Obama appointed Ma to serve on the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. [17] His music was featured in the 2010 documentary Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story, narrated by Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman . [18] [19] [20] In 2010, Ma was named Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra .

In partnership with the orchestra's music director, Riccardo Muti , he launched the Citizen Musician initiative. [21] The Silk Road Ensemble Ma formed his own Silk Road Ensemble, following the famous trade route which several hundred years ago was used for trade, notably spices, all the way across Europe and Asia to China. His goal was that of bringing together musicians from diverse countries all of which are historically linked via the Silk Road. His records with them were on the Sony Classical label. He also founded the Silk Road Connect, involving children from middle schools in the United States, including New York City. [22] Playing style Ma has been referred to as "omnivorous" by critics and possesses an eclectic repertoire.

[23] A sampling of his versatility in addition to numerous recordings of the standard classical repertoire would include his recordings of Baroque pieces using period instruments; American bluegrass music; traditional Chinese melodies, including the soundtrack to the film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon; the tangos of Argentinian composer Ástor Piazzolla; Brazilian music, recording traditional songs and songs composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Pixinguinha ; a collaboration with Bobby McFerrin (where Ma admitted to being terrified of the improvisation McFerrin elicited); as well as the music of modern minimalist Philip Glass in such works as the 2002 piece Naqoyqatsi. Ma is known for his smooth, rich tone as well as his virtuosity, including a cello recording of Niccolò Paganini's 24th Caprice for solo violin and Zoltán Kodály's solo sonata. Instruments Ma's primary performance instrument is the cello nicknamed "Petunia", built by Domenico Montagnana in 1733, and valued at US$2.5 million.

It was named Petunia by a student who approached him after one of his classes in Salt Lake City asking if he had a nickname for his cello. He said, "No, but if I play for you, will you name it?" She chose Petunia and it stuck. [24] Yo-Yo Ma accidentally left this cello in a taxicab in New York City in 1999, but it was quickly returned undamaged. [25] Another of Ma's cellos, the Davidov Stradivarius, was previously owned by Jacqueline du Pré, who passed it to him upon her death. Though Du Pré previously voiced her frustration with the "unpredictability" of this cello, Yo-Yo Ma attributed the comment to du Pré's impassioned style of playing, adding that the Stradivarius cello must be "coaxed" by the player. [26] It was until recently set up in a Baroque manner, since Ma exclusively played Baroque music on it. He also owns a modern cello made by Peter and Wendela Moes of Peißenberg, Germany, and one of carbon fiber by the Luis and Clark company of Boston.

[27] Notable live performances On July 5, 1986, Ma performed on the New York Philharmonic 's tribute to the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, which was televised live on ABC Television. [28] The orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta , performed in Central Park. Ma performed a duet with Condoleezza Rice at the presentation of the 2001 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal Awards. Ma was the first performer on September 11, 2002, at the site of the World Trade Center, while the first of the names of the dead were read in remembrance on the first anniversary of the attack on the WTC. He played the Sarabande from Bach's Cello Suite #1 in G Major. He performed a special arrangement of Sting 's "Fragile" with Sting and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has also appeared as a Pennington Great Performers series artist with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra in 2005.

He performed John Williams 's "Air and Simple Gifts" at the inauguration ceremony for Barack Obama on January 20, 2009, along with Itzhak Perlman (violin), Gabriela Montero (piano), and Anthony McGill (clarinet). While the quartet did play live, the music, played simultaneously over speakers and on television, was a recording made two days prior due to concerns over the cold weather damaging the instruments. Ma was quoted as saying, "A broken string was not an option. It was wicked cold." [29] On May 3, 2009, Ma performed the world premiere of Bruce Adolphe 's "Self Comes to Mind" for solo cello and two percussionists with John Ferrari and Ayano Kataoka at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The work is based on a poetic description written for the composer of the evolution of brain into mind by neuroscientist Antonio Damasio and featured, at the premiere, a film of brain scans provided by Hanna Damasio and other images, coordinated with the music during the performance. On August 29, 2009, Ma performed at the funeral mass for Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Pieces he performed included the Sarabande movement from Bach's Cello Suite No. 6 and Franck's Panis Angelicus with Plácido Domingo. [30] On October 3, 2009, Ma appeared alongside Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the National Arts Centre gala in Ottawa. Harper, a fan of The Beatles , played the piano and sang a rendition of "With A Little Help From My Friends" while Ma accompanied him on his cello. On October 16, 2011, he performed at the memorial for Steve Jobs held in Stanford University's Memorial Church. [31] In 2011, Ma performed with American dancer Charles "Lil Buck" Riley in the United States and in China at the U.S.-China Forum on the Arts and Culture. [32] On April 18, 2013, Ma performed at an interfaith service to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, held at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. He played the Sarabande from Bach's Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor. Also, he and other musicians accompanied members of the Boston Children's Chorus in a hymn.

[33] Media appearances Ma has appeared in an episode of the animated children's television series Arthur, as well as on The West Wing (episode "Noël", in which he performed the prelude to Bach's Cello Suite No.1 at a Congressional Christmas party), and Sesame Street. In The Simpsons episode "Missionary: Impossible", Ma (voiced by Hank Azaria) runs after Homer Simpson along with many other frequent guests of PBS. Ma later appeared in the episode "Puffless" where he played a serenade and theme music. Ma appeared twice on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and developed a friendship with creator and host Fred Rogers . Ma would later receive the inaugural Fred Rogers Legacy Award. He also starred in the visual accompaniment to his recordings of Bach's Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello. Ma was often invited to press events by Apple Inc. and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs and has performed on stage during event keynote presentations, as well as appearing in a commercial for the Macintosh computer. Ma's Bach recordings were used in a memorial video released by Apple on the first anniversary of Jobs's death. [34] Ma was a guest on the "Not My Job" segment of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

on April 7, 2007, where he won for listener Thad Moore. [35] On October 27, 2008, Ma appeared as a guest and performer on The Colbert Report. [36] He was also one of the show's guests on November 1, 2011, where he performed songs from crafting an album, The Goat Rodeo Sessions with fellow musicians Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer , and Chris Thile . [37] On October 5, 2015, he appeared on Colbert's new program The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, in support of ballerina Misty Copeland and prematurely celebrating his 60th birthday. Name and genealogy According to research done by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. for the PBS series Faces of America, a relative had hidden the Ma family genealogy in his home in China to save it from destruction during the Cultural Revolution. His paternal ancestry can be traced back eighteen generations to the year 1217.

This genealogy had been compiled in the 18th century by an ancestor, tracing everyone with the surname Ma, through the paternal line, back to one common ancestor in the 3rd century BC. Ma's generation name, Yo, had been decided by his fourth great grand-uncle, Ma Ji Cang, in 1755. [38] [39] Personal life Ma is married to Jill Hornor, an arts consultant. [40] They have two children, Nicholas and Emily. [41] Although he personally considers it the "worst epithet he's ever faced", he was still "tagged" in 2001 as "Sexiest Classical Musician" by People". [42] and continues to receive such accolades over the years, including AARP in 2012. [43] However, he has also been praised as a man of unquestionable character. He has also been singled out for his humble spirit, self-effacing manner, and humanitarianism.

[44] Discography Ma's albums include recordings of cello concertos (including, among others, Shostakovich, Brahms, Elgar, and Haydn), sonatas for cello and piano, Bach's cello suites, and a variety of chamber music. He has also recorded in non-classical styles, notably in collaboration with Bobby McFerrin on their 1992 Sony album, Hush. [45] Notable awards and recognitions Goat Rodeo Live: Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile Posted by WMHT Web Editor on Goat Rodeo Live Preview Get ready for The Goat Rodeo Sessions Live! Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, fiddler Stuart Duncan, bassist Edgar Meyer and mandolinst Chris Thile combine virtuosity with improvisation in this PBS Arts special.

GOAT RODEO LIVE: YO-YO MA, STUART DUNCAN, EDGAR MEYER, AND CHRIS THILE Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 7:30pm on WMHT TV – Four String Virtuosos, Each a Prominent Figure in His Own Musical Sphere, Join Forces in a Cross-Genre Project – Goat Rodeo musicians (l-r) Chris Thile, Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan and Edgar Meyer Credit: Taylor Crothers/Sony Music Entertainment Four string virtuosos — renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, bluegrass fiddler Stuart Duncan, bassist Edgar Meyer and mandolin wizard Chris Thile, each a prominent figure in his own musical sphere — have come together as an ensemble to create what critics are now hailing “a most remarkable and organic cross-genre project in which the fire and drive of the bluegrass world meets the clarity and class of the classical music world.” GOAT RODEO LIVE: YO-YO MA, STUART DUNCAN, EDGAR MEYER, AND CHRIS THILE,taped before a highly engaged audience at Boston’s acclaimed House of Blues, airsWednesday, July 31

, 2013 at 7:30pm on WMHT TV.

Guest vocalist Aoife O’Donovan joins the ensemble on two numbers. As viewers will quickly note, the program is an out-of-the-box experience that presents an evening of music both vibrant and varied — composed and improvised, uptown and down home, funky and pastoral — and above all, uniquely American. It is music that represents the birth of something new. Four virtuosos ignore genre restraints and take viewers along on an inspiring journey that’s full of exhilarating music that ranging from meditative to mind-spinning. The term “goat rodeo,” often applied to a chaotic situation, is a reference to the challenges of melding classical and bluegrass music. GOAT RODEO LIVE includes interviews with the four musicians, providing background and context for their work. Viewers are privy to some of the dynamics that have emerged out of four exceptional musicians’ collaboration on a project that all are deeply passionate about. GOAT RODEO LIVE is hosted by Yo-Yo Ma.

Regarded by many as the most famous classical musician of the modern age, Ma was a child prodigy who began performing at age five, enrolled in Julliard at nine and later went on to perform with most of the world’s major orchestras while winning dozens of Grammys. GOAT RODEO LIVE: YO-YO MA, STUART DUNCAN, EDGAR MEYER, AND CHRIS THILE includes: “Quarter Chicken Dark” “Here and Heaven,” with vocals by Aoife O’Donovan and Chris Thile “Franz and the Eagle” “No One But You,” with vocals by Aoife O’Donovan and Chris Thile “Attaboy” “All Through the Night” Cellist Ma is known around the world for his outstanding talent. Born to Chinese parents, the former child prodigy has won numerous Grammy Awards, recorded more than 75 albums and participated in the making of several highly acclaimed films. He has also performed for eight American presidents. Ma’s frequent collaborations with musicians and artists from other genres, cultures and media have reinvigorated the world of classical music, turning it on its head.

A Kennedy Center Honoree and member of the Silk Road Ensemble, Ma remains one of the best-selling recording artists in the classical field. Bassist Meyerhas formed a role in the music world unlike any other — hailed by the New Yorker as “the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively unchronicled history of his instrument.” Meyer’s unparalleled technique and musicianship in combination with his gift for composition have brought him to the fore where vast and varied audiences appreciate him. His uniqueness in the field was recognized by a MacArthur Award in 2002, and he was the only bassist ever to receive the Avery Fisher prize. Duncanis a Grammy award-winning bluegrass fiddler and sideman from California who has played his way to bluegrass fame. He joined the Nashville Bluegrass Band in 1985 and is a much-in-demand session player who has worked with George Strait, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and Barbara Streisand, to name a few. He has been named multiple times as the Country Music Fiddler of the Year, and many consider him America’s favorite fiddler.

Thilewas called a child prodigy at age 12, after making his first solo album, and a virtuoso by the time he was 20, when he was already putting out his third solo effort. He is best known as the multiple Grammy award-winning and nominated mandolinist and singer for the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek. His current band is Punch Brothers. Thile has also been named the BBC’s folk musician of the year and the International Bluegrass Music Association’s mandolinist of the year. Bach’s Cello Suites: where to start - Classic FM Classic FM Bach’s Cello Suites: where to start 13 August 2012, 17:02 Bach’s instrumental output encompasses a wide spectrum, but none so intimate as his suites for solo cello. Watch and listen to six great cellists playing highlights of these amazing pieces. Since Bach composed his Suites for Unaccompanied Cello between 1717–1723, they’ve been transcribed for more than 19 different instruments, including the tuba and ukulele.

It’s testament to the music’s diversity and intrigue that so many instrumentalists, not just cellists, want to sample Bach’s genius for themselves. But what if you don’t play the cello, or just want to know what to listen out for? Let Classic FM guide you through some of Bach’s most diverse works, with the help of performances from six great cellists. Suite No. 1 in G major The solo nature of the suites practically begs anyone who plays them to come up with their own interpretation of the music. Mstislav Rostropovich’s personal take on the Suite No. 1 in G that of a harmonic journey – his playing is fast-paced and he lets the music do the talking. The G major suite is the best-known of the six: Rostropovich’s version of the ‘Prelude’ has had more than 8million views on YouTube, and it’s frequently heard on TV and in films. For a musical pick-me-up, listen to the cheery ‘Gigue’. Suite No. 2 in D minor The second suite is a change in character from the positive G major Suite No. 1.

Mischa Maisky’s interpretation of the ‘Prelude’ is almost conversational, as the tune ebbs and flows from the highest notes to some of the deepest and darkest in the cello’s range. Like all the suites, this is based on six dances, but it’s easy to forget this fact when listening to the brooding ‘Sarabande’. Bach uses low chords so the cello can accompany itself. It’s heartbreakingly beautiful. Suite No. 3 in C major Back to a major key, Bach’s Suite No. 3 in C is folky and relaxed – Paul Tortelier’s performance shows off its friendly character. The cello’s lowest note, the bottom C string, is often played to make up a meaty C major chord, showing off the full range of the instrument. From the cheeky ‘Courante’ to the two wonderfully contrasting ‘Bourée’ movements, this suite truly shows off the emotional depths available on a cello. Suite No. 4 in E flat major It’s one of the most difficult suites to play, but it’s also the most touching.

Yo Yo Ma’s first recording won him a Grammy Award in 1985, and it’s easy to see why when listening to his haunting rendition of the ‘Prelude’. He even recorded the whole set of six suites again in a film, ‘Inspired by Bach’, in 1997. Bach turns the idea of a ‘Sarabande’ dance on its head in the peaceful second movement, altering the rhythms so the beats are stressed in what sounds like the wrong place. (Listen from 55.09 for Suite No. 4) Suite No. 5 in C minor This suite was originally written for a cello with its strings tuned down a tone, to extend the possibilities of the instrument even further. Its most famous movement is the haunting ‘Sarabande’, which was played at the World Trade Center on the anniversary of the 11 September terrorist attacks. It’s one of only four movements in all six suites which doesn’t contain any chords, giving it a pared down feel. Pablo Casals’ recording from 1936-1939 shows the mournful character of the music. Suite No.

6 in D major The last of the six suites may well have been composed for a smaller version of the cello with five strings rather than four, called a violoncello piccolo. The tune is higher than the other suites, giving the music a different feel from the heavier minor suites which come before it. Stephen Isserlis’ recording of the ‘Gigue’ is a great mix of mischief and virtuosity in equal measure – listening to the number of chords in the music, it’s almost hard to believe there’s only one instrument playing. Latest on Classic FM

Question: Grammy award-winning musician Yo-Yo Ma is famous for his virtuosity on what instrument?
Answer: Cello