Avery Fisher Artist Program Oral History Project

Yo-Yo Ma

1978 Avery Fisher Prize Recipient; Cellist; Founder of Silkroad and The Silkroad Ensemble; Member of the Executive Committee of the Avery Fisher Artist Program

An interview with Yo-Yo Ma conducted October 28, 2019 by Gerry Albarelli for the Columbia Center for Oral History, Avery Fisher Artist Program Oral History Project. 

Yo-Yo Ma is a world-renowned cellist who was one of the first recipients of the Avery Fisher Prize. He became a close friend of the Fisher family, as well as of Emanuel Ax, and joined the Century Association at Avery Fisher’s prompting. He has served as a longtime member of the Executive Committee of the Avery Fisher Artist Program. In 1998, he conceived of Silkroad, bringing together musicians from the lands of the Silk Road for cultural collaborations in order to promote social impact through music and help create a more hopeful and inclusive world.