As one of the most recognizable and beloved figures in classical music, Yo-Yo Ma “is a musician of immense conscience, a wholeheartedly earnest presence who tends to bring out the best in whatever company he is in” (The New York Times).

His multifaceted career is a testament to his belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding. Whether performing brand-new or timeless cello music, bringing communities and cultures together, or engaging with artists from Chinese pipa virtuosos to Sesame Street residents, Ma’s projects stimulate our imaginations and reinforce our humanity. He even calls himself a “venture culturalist!”

Collaboration is at the heart of Ma’s artistry and legacy. Whether improvising with bluegrass musicians, accompanying a seemingly “boneless” dancer, or inspiring the next generation of music lovers, he reminds us that music is most powerful when shared.

Explore the breadth of Ma’s collaborative spirit and vision with examples of some of his most interesting and inspiring projects outside the classical realm throughout the decades.  

1. Angélique Kidjo

Dubbed “Africa’s Premier Diva” by TIME magazine, Angélique Kidjo—much like Ma—is an ever-evolving artist with an undying curiosity and hunger for connection, collaboration, and new ideas. Kidjo has left a lasting impact on everything from world music and jazz to pop and Afrobeat.  
 
When Kidjo and Ma join forces, the result is pure magic. Sarabande Africaine is their joint project that blends classical with Yoruba music, African American spirituals, and Gullah-Geechee songs. Together, their work reminds us that music has always and will always be a universal language.  

2. Bobby McFerrin 

McFerrin and Ma share a fearless spirit of spontaneity and playfulness. Their 1992 album Hush was described by The Washington Post as a “winning combination of Ma’s unerring, often deeply expressive touch and McFerrin’s wit, whimsy, resourcefulness and sheer musicality.”

Consisting of five songs written by McFerrin and several classical favorites like Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee,” Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise,” and Bach’s “Air” and “Ave Maria,” the album blurs the line between voice and instrument.

“We simply had a ball because Yo-Yo brings such a wonderful childlike attitude to new adventures,” McFerrin said. “Working with him was absolutely fabulous, among the most enjoyable four days I’ve ever had musically.” 

3. Charles “Lil Buck” Riley 

Memphis-born dancer Charles “Lil Buck” Riley is best known for jookin, a style of street dance in his hometown.  

“[Memphis music] had this certain thing to it, with how they used the bass, treble, and hi-hats,” Lil Buck said. “It made you feel it was like this full-body bounce. It started with that bounce and this groove and the way you felt as an in the way the artist felt when the music was being made.”  

What happens when that vibrant energy meets the gentle grace of a classical piece?

In the early 2010s, he performed an interpretive dance to Camille Saint-Saëns’ “The Swan” from The Carnival of the Animals, accompanied by none other than Ma.  

4. Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, and Stuart Duncan

With an album name like Goat Rodeo Sessions, you know you’re about to be in for some wild, fun, and adventurous sounds. In 2011, Ma aimed for something with that kind of energy with his bluegrass collaboration with bassist Edgar Meyer, fiddler Stuart Duncan (Nashville Bluegrass Band), and mandolinist Chris Thile (Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers).

Thile says the title comes from an aviation slang term. “[It’s] used to designate a situation where a bunch of things will have to go just right for anyone to come out of it unscathed.”  

Ma, like his Goat Rodeo bandmates, is a daredevil when it comes to making music. “We like to take calculated risks to go to the edge. And all of us, in some weird way, are also perfectionist, so the tension between the two is what we play off of each other,” Ma says. When one does something special or creative, the others will intuitively follow, fueling the humorous, organized chaos of a goat rodeo! 

5. John Williams 

Ma’s artistic collaboration with legendary film composer John Williams goes all the way back to Williams’ tenure as conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra in the early ’80s.

When writing his 1993 Cello Concerto for Ma, Williams said, “I was always aware of the fact that Yo-Yo’s ability to ‘connect’ personally and even privately with every individual in his audience is perhaps the greatest of his abundant gifts.”

In their work together, Williams leans on Ma’s ability to make the cello sing, yearn, and pierce the heart of each listener. Their 2022 album A Gathering of Friends features a revisited version of the concerto, along with new arrangements of Williams’ film scores from Schindler’s List, Lincoln, and Munich.  

Williams says, “Happily, and with complete justice, the world loves and reveres this man, as do I, and working with him is always a joyous journey to be treasured.” 

6. Sesame Street 

On Sesame Street, Ma showed children and their families that the cello can play more than “serious” classical music. It can sing the blues, let loose, and groove out with a muppet, too.

Performing a late-night jam session with Sesame Street’s resident jazz musician and saxophonist, Hoots the Owl, Ma helped demystify the cello for millions of young viewers. Ma’s effortless call-and-response talent, left Hoots floored, telling the audience, “Man, that is one mellow cello!”

Ma also stepped in as Elmo’s “fiddle” teacher, played along with the Honkers, and more during his visits to Sesame Street. 

7. Silkroad Ensemble 

Perhaps Ma’s most ambitious and longstanding collective, the Silkroad Ensemble brings together musicians from dozens of musical and cultural traditions: Persian kamancheh, Chinese pipa, Indian tabla, Galician bagpipes, Japanese shakuhachi, and more.  

Ma modeled the ensemble after the historical Silk Road, a network of trade routes that fostered the exchange of ideas, traditions, goods, and innovations across the East and West. 

Founded by Ma in 1998 (and currently under the artistic direction of Pulitzer Prize winner Rhiannon Giddens), the Silkroad Ensemble is rooted in a simple question: “What happens when strangers meet?”