Home / Quotes / Quote by Yo-Yo Ma

Quote by Yo-Yo Ma

“I've been traveling all over the world for 25 years, performing, talking to people, studying their cultures and musical instruments, and I always come away with more questions in my head than can be answered.”

Quote by Yo-Yo Ma

Author

Yo-Yo Ma, born on October 7, 1955, is a world-renowned cellist. His unique playing style, which blends Eastern and Western musical elements, has won him the admiration of audiences worldwide. Ma began his musical studies at a young age and has since won numerous international music awards, becoming one of the most influential musicians of our time. more

You May Also Like

“There are limits to how much sound a cello can make. That's part of the framing of acoustical instruments. Finding what those limits might be, and then trying to suggest perhaps even the illusion of going beyond is part of that kind of effort.”

Trying Kind Might Sound Effort Limits Findings Illusion Instruments Framing

Author:Yo-Yo Ma

“As a child, you respond physically, tactically. You're delighted by sound, you're delighted by recognizing something. It's like hide and seek. Is it there? Is it not there? Is it this note? Is it not this note? It's one fantastic game.”

Children Games Sound Notes Fantastic Recognizing Delighted Hide And Seek

Author:Yo-Yo Ma

“Children, in a way, are constant learners. Certainly sponge-like. Absorbing everything without careful analysis, even though, at the same time, they are certainly capable of incredible insights.”

Way Children Capable Constant Incredibles Careful Insight Analysis Absorbing Learners Sponges

Author:Yo-Yo Ma

“I really would like to be involved in things and to understand things, and in some ways you've got to be careful what you wish for because I feel very, very blessed to have such an interesting life and to be able to have little snapshots of lives of people from many different parts of the world.”

People World Way Feels Littles Different Able Wish Interesting Involved Blessed Careful Be Careful Snapshots Interesting Life Careful What You Wish For

Author:Yo-Yo Ma

“I think of a piece of music as something that comes alive when it is being performed, and I feel that my role in the transmission of music is to be its best advocate at that moment.”

Thinking Feels Moments Roles Pieces Alive Music Is That Moment Transmission

Author:Yo-Yo Ma

“I think the purpose of a piece of music is significant when it actually lives in somebody else. A composer puts down a code, and a performer can activate the code in somebody else. Once it lives in somebody else, it can live in others as well.”

Thinking Wells Purpose Pieces Music Is Significant Code Performers Composer Activate

Author:Yo-Yo Ma

“I think there are so many ways to become interested in music. I believe signs of sustained interest gives a sense of the right time. Music, if thought of as a language, would perhaps indicate that as early as possible is not so bad. I do believe that a really nurturing first teacher that makes the child love something is crucial.”

Ifs Thinking Way Giving Firsts Believe Children Language I Believe Interest Teacher Crucial Right Time Nurturing Children Love

Author:Yo-Yo Ma

“It's easy for me to care about Toronto, because Toronto is a community that cares about itself. It represents the world. It talks to itself, and because it does, it figures out that there must be a music garden as part of its existence.”

World Doe Care Easy Community Existence Figures Garden Toronto

Author:Yo-Yo Ma

“Many of the Central Asians know Russian, and Ted Levin speaks it fluently. I speak Chinese, but Mongolian is completely different, so we had to have translators.”

Knows Different Speak Chinese Translators

Author:Yo-Yo Ma

“Music has always been transnational; people pick up whatever interests them, and certainly a lot of classical music has absorbed influences from all over the world.”

People World Interest Influence Picks Classical Music

Author:Yo-Yo Ma