About 25 years ago, the acclaimed cellist asked a high school student to help him name his instrument. Yo-Yo Ma brings his cello — aka "Petunia" — to his conversation with Terry Gross. He talks about being a child prodigy, his rebel years, and straddling three cultures: American, French, and Chinese.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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Hi, it's Terry Gross. Before we start our show, I want to take a minute to remind you that it's Almost Giving Tuesday, which is so named because it's become a day of expressing gratitude by giving money or any kind of help to an individual or group or organization that matters to you. We've found a way to turn Giving Tuesday into Giving and Getting Tuesday. Thank you. It's a win-win.
So join us at plus.npr.org. That's plus.npr.org. Or you can always make a gift at donate.npr.org. Thank you, and thanks to everyone who's already supporting us. And now, on with the show. This is Fresh Air. I'm Terry Gross. I hope you're enjoying your Thanksgiving. For the holiday, we're going to feature one of our favorite interviews of the year with Yo-Yo Ma. © BF-WATCH TV 2021
But lots of people who pay no attention to classical music know Yo-Yo Ma because he's performed in so many different contexts. He's played American folk and bluegrass music, and he's played music from around the world with the Silk Road Ensemble, which he founded. He's appeared on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, Sesame Street, and The Simpsons.
On the first anniversary of 9-11, at the ceremony held at Ground Zero, he performed one of the Bach cello suites. Earlier this year, in April, he played at the memorial for the seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen who were killed in an Israeli airstrike while they were feeding people trapped in Gaza.
Yo-Yo Ma started playing cello at age four, and by the time he was seven, he performed at an event attended by President Kennedy and former President Dwight Eisenhower, where he was introduced by Leonard Bernstein. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Obama. That's one of the many honors he's received. including 19 Grammys.
He has a new album with pianist Catherine Stott, who he's performed with for over 40 years. She's about to retire. Their new album, Merci, is their final album together. I spoke with Yo-Yo Ma last May at an event held at WHYY where Fresh Air is produced, where he received WHYY's annual Lifelong Learning Award.
The only honor greater than having Yo-Yo Ma here tonight is having Yo-Yo Ma with his cello here tonight. So I'm absolutely thrilled about this. So I want you to introduce your cello to us, because it's from the 1700s. This cello is older than the United States of America.
Well, Terry, the first thing I want to tell you is that the cello's name is Petunia.
It has a name?
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