Yo-Yo Ma won the Grammy Award 18 times but refused to accept it? The first half of a cellist's life

Yo-Yo Ma believes that for music, the part of the sound that the audience hears is "just the peaks of icebergs exposed on the sea, accounting for 10% of the huge whole. What is under the surface is the real music ".

The philosophical spirit and worldview that creators need to convey through music are buried under the deep sea, and musicians act as good or bad translators between creators and audiences.

"When I get a piece of music, I am accustomed to first asking about the history behind it, or the intention of the music creator. Only with these things can you understand the different aspects of music. Emotional level, otherwise, the performer is just an object that makes the instrument sound, a craftsman, and will never become a musician."

"Chinese culture has a very special interpretation of music, which reflects the role of music in the spiritual realm. People have a huge influence. This is also my view on music. In music, sound is energy, and energy is like contact. We all know how important contact is for healing, even if it is a person who cannot speak, you can touch it. Hold his hand, give him comfort, and if he cannot speak or express himself, you speak to him in a gentle voice, as you would to an old man, or a sick man, or a new-born baby. , your contact will have a great impact on his life. Nowadays, many people are talking about the healing effect of music on people. I think music can not only bring spiritual comfort, but also play a therapeutic role. ."

Yo-Yo Ma was born in Paris, France, to a Chinese immigrant family on October 7, 1955. His ancestral home is Ningbo, Zhejiang. My mother loves singing, and my father traveled to France to study children's music education.

His father, Ma Xiaojun, was one of the first musicians to study in the West during the Republic of China. He studied under Ma Sicong. He graduated from the National Central University with a violin major and was also a composer and conductor. His mother, Lu Yawen, was an art major from the National Central University. A female vocal singer who graduated from the Department of Music.

Yo-Yo Ma has lived in the world of music since he was a child. He has listened to thousands of classical music excerpts and learned about the world from records or from the performances of his father and sister.

Yo-Yo Ma: "My mother is a singer, and my father is a composer, music theorist and string player. My father gave me good musical training. At the earliest, I The performance was a Bach suite, and I just played fragments of it, two measures a day.

By connecting what I learned every day, I actually learned a lot without realizing it. Good way to learn. We don't have to climb Everest in one go, we just have to conquer a small hill.

My father always said that if something is very difficult, you have to break it into four. part, so you can solve some small problems first, piece by piece, and finally solve the hardest part. This is an incredibly good method. My mother suggested that I practice more skills, practice makes perfect, and quantity leads to quality. ”

In 1959, 4-year-old Yo-Yo Ma began learning piano and cello.

"The cello was my third musical choice at the age of four. My first instrument was the violin, but I couldn't play it well, so I refused to continue. At four I wanted to play the double bass , but it was too big. At four and a half years old, I chose the cello as a compromise because it was the other largest instrument I could control." 1962, 7-year-old Yo-Yo Ma with his family. He moved to the United States and settled in New York. In the same year, he performed on the stage of the Kennedy Center with his sister Ma Yocheng at Carnegie Hall in the United States. There were 5,000 spectators sitting in the audience, including President Kennedy and his wife.

At the age of 8, he began to appear on the CBS national television program with the title of "child prodigy", and the conductor was the famous Bernstein.

Mother Lu Yawen: "Youyou likes music very much. If he loves this music, he can't hear you. His ears are deaf and he can't hear anything outside. All his energy is focused on the music. . He has been fond of Schubert and Haydn since he was a child, and he is unwilling to put it down when he practices. "

"My husband is an educator and is very persuasive. He never lets his friends practice for too long. Only 15 minutes, let him concentrate on practicing, because children are naughty and lack concentration, and concentration is more important than time."

Yo-Yo Ma would get annoyed when he was a "rebellious boy" when he was practicing piano. He also deliberately opened the cover to let the cello soak in the rain.

Mother Lu Yawen: "My husband never spanks children because of music, and does not let children be punished because of music, because he is afraid that it will leave a shadow in the children's hearts. If you want your children to do it in the future, If you are a musician, don't leave a shadow in his heart. At other times, if the child is disobedient or naughty, he can be spanked. But if the music fails, his father will not spank him, but 'punish' him. Writing calligraphy and Chinese calligraphy. But Youyou has always been able to learn music without punishment."

In 1969, at the age of 14, he graduated from high school and entered the Juilliard School, where he played cello. Study under Leonardo Ross.

Yo-Yo Ma, who became famous at a young age but was rebellious in adolescence, lost his dedication to music and began to skip school, smoke, and drink alcohol... By chance, he met at a party--Jill, a girl who once I saw Yo-Yo Ma's performance when I was 14 years old.

At that time, he made a bet with others to get Jill's kiss for two NBA tickets and a piece of takeout seafood pizza.

Gil told Yo-Yo Ma that he came to New York to find a boy who played the cello. On her 14th birthday, she once watched the talented cello boy's concert in Vienna. Unfortunately, after coming to the United States, I could no longer find any news about the boy. This boy that Jill was talking about was him.

Yo-Yo Ma won tickets and pizza that night, but Jill left Yo-Yo Ma after knowing the truth.

Mama Ma said: “That was his first love, and he suffered for a long time. He even asked me once: ‘Is there a way to turn back time?’ I told him no, but we can rewrite the future. ”

So after studying at Juilliard School for 7 years, Yo-Yo Ma dropped out and entered Harvard University to major in Anthropology.

Yo-Yo Ma: “I may not have learned different things at Juilliard, but I met some very interesting people at Harvard who talked about music beyond instruments, and Juilliard’s People always talk about the music within the instrument - it makes a big difference if people always think in terms of their own behavior, then they develop more in terms of their physical behavior. There were a lot of people like Leon Kirkner at Harvard, and there were great teachers—Louis Vosgeleshian, a really great teacher who always asked questions in the Socratic method, was building the foundation. On the basis of vocabulary, she teaches people how to think and trust their own abilities and hearing. Once you start to gain confidence, you can apply the complete vocabulary you have learned to music, which is extremely useful. "< /p>

Yo-Yo Ma met Jill again at Harvard University. He wrote a love letter to Jill:

“After you left me, love and music seemed to disappear from my life. It has been almost four years since I gave up playing the cello, and now I don’t know if I can play it again. Last night, I hesitated and wanted to do something for you to make up for my previous absurdity and frivolity. Hold a recital."

After the recital, Yo-Yo Ma and Jill fell in love and picked up the abandoned piano skills. Yo-Yo Ma said that Jill is the most beautiful and wise woman in his life. The two of them are the strings and bow of the cello, and no one can live without the other.

In 1976, Yo-Yo Ma graduated from Harvard University in the United States with a bachelor's degree in anthropology.

In 1977, Yo-Yo Ma married his girlfriend Jill Hanauer and had two children.

Yo-Yo Ma: "The most important moment was getting married and having children. After that, my attitude towards time, life and death completely changed. Suddenly everything became serious. I could no longer wander around and be responsible. Take responsibility."

"As parents, my wife and I hope that music can enrich our lives and the lives of our children. We are gratified that music becomes a part of our children's lives and a part of their exploration of life. "We never thought about letting them choose music as a career. The only thing we hope to impart to them is the values ????that we cherish." In 1981, Apple founder Steve Jobs and Yo-Yo Ma met when Jobs was attending the event. Aspen International Design Conference, and Yo-Yo Ma is attending the Aspen Music Festival.

Jobs was moved by Yo-Yo Ma’s music and became a fan of his music. He invited Yo-Yo Ma to play at his wedding, but Yo-Yo Ma missed it because he was performing out of town.

A few years later, Yo-Yo Ma came to Jobs’ home, sat in the living room, and played Bach. He told the Jobses: "This is the song I wanted to play at your wedding." Jobs was very moved and told him: "Your performance is the best I have ever heard. It's like God coming, because I don't believe in a person." Mortals can do this." When Jobs was diagnosed with cancer, he asked Yo-Yo Ma to play at his funeral.

In the 1980s, Yo-Yo Ma returned to China to perform at the Central Conservatory of Music.

In the spring of 1992, Yo-Yo Ma encountered a major crisis in his life. Since the 1980s, he has continued to incorporate folk music, pop music and even marginal instruments from all over the world into his creations. This move has angered conservatives in the serious music world.

The Vienna State Theater canceled the performance contract signed with him. Even Stern, his mentor who had played with him on the same stage when he was 6 years old and had guided him many times, refused to perform with Yo-Yo Ma on the same stage. Yo-Yo Ma said: "My child, you have gone too far on the track of self-righteousness. Do you want to turn classical music into a children's song show?"

When Yo-Yo Ma was completely surrounded by confusion and helplessness, his wife Ji Er comforted him and said: "Beethoven said, 'Rules are meant to be broken.' You think all classical music is the best combination of folk songs and pop music at that time. You don't want our children and our children's children to I only know Mozart and Bach, but I don’t know that other music existed in our time! You are not wrong! This is not a wife’s opinion, but the heartfelt sentiment of your most trusted friend!”

Yo-Yo Ma and his wife have a deep relationship, "My wife is a German literature teacher at Harvard University. She is not a musician, but she is my best critic and the person who listens to me play the most."

< p> In 1993, Yo-Yo Ma was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

In 1997, Yo-Yo Ma spent many years innovatively interpreting Bach's unaccompanied cello suites with a variety of performing arts.

"Each stage of my life requires a different motivation to inspire me to continue playing the cello. When I was a child, I played music because I was born into a musical family, and my family had expectations for me, and I was easy I derived joy from playing instruments. As a teenager, I played instruments as a means of expression. Later, I played music as a way to explore and find meaning, a voice that represented individuals, groups, eras, and regions. . Recently, music has become a decoding of life experiences and friendships in my memory. I also believe that this infinite and rich nature is a reflection of the human spirit."

In 1998, Yo-Yo Ma registered the African Society in the United States. The Silk Road Project, a for-profit arts, culture and education organization, is dedicated to arts, culture and education activities, hoping to break down geographical barriers by bringing together artists and audiences from around the world.

In 1999, Yo-Yo Ma's "Soul of Brazil" album, which had been in the works for 10 years, was released. After a protracted debate, Grammy crowned him for the 12th time.

In the same year, Yo-Yo Ma led young audiences into the world of music in TV programs such as "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" and "Sesame Street". Yo-Yo Ma does his best to create a musical space for children, making music and creativity a part of children's lives.

In 2000, he played the theme song for the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". This neoclassical cello piece won the Academy Award for Best Music that year.

In the same year he formed the Silk Road Ensemble, a non-profit arts, cultural and educational organization that brings together musicians, composers and musicians from the United States, Russia, Japan, Iran, China and other places. Arrangers, they are obsessed with exploring the differences between Eastern and Western music, and on this basis they are constantly innovating.

"The core concept of the Silk Road Orchestra is to 'tear down walls and build bridges'. As a musician, I have traveled around the world and can always see many different perspectives. Assuming that each Nations use music to express their hearts, sounds, and words. So what happens when so many different voices come together? What do these voices look like, from Pakistan, from Buenos Aires, What happens when these voices come together? This is where creativity comes from.

”

“All art is for ‘conversation’. Through music, you can know what great people were thinking hundreds of years ago, such as Beethoven and Bach. "Yo-Yo Ma said, "Through music, you can understand their musical thoughts. How wonderful and exciting this is! When I reinterpret the souls of those great composers through notes and cause cries of excitement, it is the most "glorious" moment as a performer. ”

What he wants to tell people is that music itself has rich possibilities and can bring people different inspirations. More importantly, music can teach people to think about problems in more ways . If everyone can do this, the barriers between people will be reduced and the world will become more open.

"I listen to jazz, classical and music from different parts of the world. The works of trendy musicians connect these sounds with historical events. I think it's a way to allow people to feel and imagine times that are gradually becoming out of reach. "

"Every country and every society has music. Music expresses the most precious thoughts and feelings in our hearts. The most important thing in life is that there are more connections between people in different places and countries. Understand, communicate more."

Under the guidance of this idea, Yo-Yo Ma has moved from a top cellist to a new level, committed to the exchange, integration and integration of music cultures of various ethnic groups. Promote education work.

In the spring of 2004, Yo-Yo Ma won the 43rd Grammy Award again. Due to the strong pressure from the public and the media, the Vienna National Theater once again extended an invitation to Yo-Yo Ma.

Yo-Yo Ma once said, "Music is not comparable, so he can perform, but he can't compete." So he has always refused to accept the Grammy Award. In 2005, he once participated in "Star Wars" and other films. John Williams, the Hollywood composer of the soundtrack, announced that he will collaborate with Yo-Yo Ma to complete the soundtrack for "Memoirs of a Geisha".

In 2006, Yo-Yo Ma returned to his hometown of Ningbo to hold the "Bach Journey". Cello recital.

His parents who immigrated to France insisted on teaching Yo-Yo Ma and his sister to speak Chinese and practice calligraphy at home. It was not until Yo-Yo Ma moved to New York when he was 5 years old that he gave up expressing himself in Chinese. /p>

Yo-Yo Ma’s ancestral home,

“When I set foot in Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China, the cultural education and customs I received as a child became so vivid and lifelike. Everyone here said Listening to what my parents said, I felt a close relationship and I longed to understand this place."

In 2007, Yo-Yo Ma and his "Silk Road" ensemble participated in the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games. performed the opening ceremony.

Yo-Yo Ma said about his daily piano practice: “Sometimes I can practice for several hours, and sometimes I can only play for a few minutes. I think imagining yourself practicing is part of practice. Whether you imagine yourself practicing or actually practicing, your brain builds the same neural connections and muscle memory. After all, piano practice is about quality, not quantity. ”

On January 20, 2009, Yo-Yo Ma performed at the inauguration ceremony of US President Obama. On February 15, 2011, US President Obama awarded the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom to Yo-Yo Ma and others. 15 people. In the same year, Yo-Yo Ma received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Kennedy Center. In 2016, Yo-Yo Ma was still working on his Silk Road project. Starting from Xi'an, the starting point of the Silk Road, three Western concerts were held in Xi'an, Lanzhou, and Urumqi with local philharmonic orchestras.

On February 13, 2017, the 18th time was held in Los Angeles, the United States. Won the "Best World Music Album" award at the 59th Grammy Awards.

Yo-Yo Ma is the Chinese musician who has been associated with the Grammy most times. What is particularly rare is that he is good at classical performance. More "compatible" with other classical musicians, his biggest goal is to turn music into a language of communication, cross different races in the world, and shorten the distance between people.

I know more. I like the German audience, they all come to the concert with the score and are very attentive. The French audience needs visual guidance. The British pay attention to the auditory effect. They rarely cheer, but you will feel very warm.

Yo-Yo Ma: "The definition of culture in my mind is the expression from the innermost heart of human beings. The focus of culture is not to be created, but to live in people's hearts. As a performer, I have to do The key is not to perform a piece of music perfectly, but to ensure that the listener is engaged and enjoys the piece of music. Whether it is playing music, talking to people, or teaching, the truth is the same at the end of the day: creation. Things that survive in memory.

I have always believed that art and science are both part of philosophy, and that these fields are essentially the search for the truth about nature and human beings. ”

"In my heart, his kindness and sincerity are more important than his success in playing the cello." Mother Lu Yawen said: "Because he is my son, not a machine. Cello (cello) is his hobby, he It’s to use Cello to spread his love, which is what I love most about him.”

My mother Lu Yawen said: “I am almost ninety years old, and I have never told anyone this before. Today. I tell it because I think it will be of benefit to others and to those who come after me. One day, Yo-Yo Ma's era will pass, and Yo-Yo Ma also said, "In a few years, people may forget me." '"

In the long river of history, human life is very short, but beautiful music and the glory of humanity will last forever, just like the Bach music of the Baroque era in the 16th century. The spirit of humanism in the Renaissance is still influencing and inspiring people in the 21st century today.

Yo-Yo Ma’s innovative spirit of learning from the strengths of others in music is worth remembering and inheriting forever!

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