Rolex Arts Testimonee Yo-Yo Ma

Chinese-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma is one of the most accomplished classical musicians of our time, releasing over 100 albums and winning 18 Grammy Awards. He was born in Paris, raised in New York, studied at Juilliard and graduated from Harvard all by 1976. Ma, also a UN Messenger for Peace, was most recently named Artistic Advisor at Large to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 

Rolex Arts Testimonee Yo-Yo Ma (photo: Rolex/Marco Grob)

Ma became a Rolex Arts Testimonee in 1998, the same year that he began Silkroad, a non-profit organization with the goal of facilitating the intersection of the arts, business and education by developing  new music, education programs, cultural partnerships and other contributions to the world through music. Rolex is exclusive partner of Silkroad and the organization works with Harvard University to assist in music education training for arts educators.

The Silkroad Ensemble, formed by Yo-Yo Ma in 2000, is a critically acclaimed ensemble of musicians from all over the world. The group has recorded six albums together, creative innovative sounds that cross cultural boundaries and bridge ancient rhythms with modern instrumentation. Their latest recording, Sing Me Home, was released earlier this year as the companion album for The Music of Strangers, a documentary film directed by Oscar winner Morgan Neville. The film puts together performance footage, interviews and archival films to tell the story of the ensemble. Following the performers around the world, it provides a glimpse at the personal journeys of the ensemble's musicians. I have embedded the trailer for the documentary below.

In the photo above, Ma is wearing a classic yellow gold Rolex Day-Date, a perfect match for the accomplished musical artist and philanthropist. The cellist has performed for 8 US Presidents, giving the President't Watch a new interpretation. For more information on the Rolex Day-Date, check out my post on the singular model here. Visit Yo-Yo Ma's official website for a schedule of performances, multimedia and music. Check out silkroadproject.org for more information on the organization.

>>BACK TO ARTS