Artist

Yo-Yo Ma

Wins

Nominations

About Yo-Yo Ma

"As a musician I'm kind of nomadic, Waldo-like. I show up in different places, and I'm witness to unbelievable things."

Born Yo-Yo Ma on Oct. 7, 1955, in Paris, France

Yo-Yo Ma rose to prominence by playing with renowned orchestras like the Marlboro Festival Orchestra. In the late 90's, he was featured on John Williams' soundtrack to the Hollywood war drama Seven Years in Tibet. He went on to appear on prolific film soundtracks such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

The critically acclaimed cellist won his first GRAMMY for his work for 1984 for Bach: The Unaccompanied Cello Suites.
Did you know? Yo-Yo Ma was a child cellist prodigy and started performing when he was just four and a half years old.

Yo-Yo Ma has been an active supporter of MusiCares, having donated auction items to events such as the annual Person of the Year gala.

Yo-Yo Ma has been an active supporter of Friends Without A Border, an organization that provides medical care to the children of Southeast Asia. In 2006, the UN Secretary General named him Peace Ambassador. Yo-Yo Ma is also the founding member of the Chinese-American Committee of 100, which strives to "encourage constructive relations between the people of the United States and Greater China."

All Grammy Awards and
Nominations for Yo-Yo Ma

Year	Award	Artists	Work	All Nominees
2026	Best Classical Instrumental Solo	Yo-Yo Ma, Andris Nelsons	Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos	All Nominees
2025	Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance	Yo-Yo Ma, Leonidas Kavakos, Emanuel Ax	Beethoven For Three: Symphony No. 4 And Op. 97, 'Archduke'	All Nominees
2024	Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance	Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos	Beethoven For Three: Symphony No. 6, 'Pastorale' And Op. 1, No. 3	All Nominees
2022	Best Global Music Performance	Yo-Yo Ma, Angélique Kidjo	Blewu	All Nominees
2022	Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance	Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax	Beethoven: Cello Sonatas - Hope Amid Tears	All Nominees
2017	Best Global Music Album	Yo-Yo Ma, Silk Road Ensemble	Sing Me Home	All Nominees
2017	Best Music Film	Yo-Yo Ma, Silk Road Ensemble	The Music Of Strangers	All Nominees
2013	Best Folk Album	Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile	The Goat Rodeo Sessions	All Nominees
2010	Best Classical Crossover Album	Yo-Yo Ma	Yo-Yo Ma & Friends: Songs Of Joy And Peace	All Nominees
2004	Best Classical Crossover Album	Yo-Yo Ma	Obrigado Brazil	All Nominees
2001	Best Classical Crossover Album	Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Mark O'Connor	Appalachian Journey	All Nominees
1999	Best Music Film	Yo-Yo Ma	Inspired By Bach: Six Gestures - No. 6 (Video)	All Nominees
1999	Best Classical Crossover Album	Yo-Yo Ma, Jorge Calandrelli	Soul Of The Tango - The Music Of Astor Piazzolla	All Nominees
1998	Best Classical Performance-Instrumental Soloist(s) (with orchestra)	Yo-Yo Ma	Premieres - Cello Concertos (Works Of Danielpour, Kirchner, Rouse)	All Nominees
1998	Best Classical Album	Yo-Yo Ma, David Zinman, Steven Epstein	Premieres - Cello Concertos (Works Of Danielpour, Kirchner, Rouse)	All Nominees
1998	Best Chamber Music Performance	Jaime Laredo, Cho-Liang Lin, Yo-Yo Ma, Sharon Robinson, Isaac Stern	Schubert/Boccherini: Quintets (Schubert: Quintet In C Major/Boccherini: Quintet In E Major) (Album)	All Nominees
1996	Best Chamber Music Performance	Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Richard Stoltzman	Brahms/Beethoven/Mozart: Clarinet Trios	All Nominees
1995	Best Classical Performance-Instrumental Soloist(s) (with orchestra)	Yo-Yo Ma	The New York Album - Works Of Albert, Bartok & Bloch	All Nominees
1994	Best Chamber Music Performance	Emanuel Ax, Jaime Laredo, Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern	Faure: Piano Quartets Nos. 1 And 2	All Nominees
1993	Best Chamber Music Performance	Jaime Laredo, Cho-Liang Lin, Yo-Yo Ma, Sharon Robinson, Isaac Stern, Michael Tree	Brahms: Sextets, Opp 18 And 36; Theme And Variations	All Nominees
1993	Best Chamber Music Performance	Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma	Brahms: Sonatas For Cello & Piano	All Nominees
1993	Best Classical Performance-Instrumental Soloist(s) (with orchestra)	Yo-Yo Ma	Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante/Tchaikovsky: Variations On A Rococo Theme	All Nominees
1992	Best Chamber Music Performance	Emanuel Ax, Jaime Laredo, Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern	Brahms: Piano Quartets (Op. 25 & 26)	All Nominees
1992	Best Classical Performance-Instrumental Soloist(s) (with orchestra)	Yo-Yo Ma	Tchaikovsky: Variations On A Rococo Theme, Op. 33 (Track)	All Nominees
1990	Best Classical Performance-Instrumental Soloist(s) (with orchestra)	Yo-Yo Ma	Barber: Cello Concerto, Op. 22/Britten: Symphony For Cello And Orchestra, Op. 68	All Nominees
1990	Best Chamber Music Performance	Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern	Shostakovich: Trio No. 2 For Violin, Cello, Piano In E Minor Op. 67 And Sonata For Cello And Piano In D Minor (Album)	All Nominees
1989	Best Classical Performance-Instrumental Soloist(s) (with orchestra)	Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern	Brahms: Double Concerto In A Minor, Op. 102 (Album)	All Nominees
1987	Best Chamber Music Performance	Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma	Beethoven: Cello And Piano Sonata No. 4 In C & Variations	All Nominees
1987	Best Classical Album	Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, James Mallinson	Beethoven: Cello And Piano Sonata No. 4 In C/And Variations (Album)	All Nominees
1986	Best Chamber Music Performance	Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma	Brahms: Cello And Piano Sonatas In E Minor And F	All Nominees
1986	Best Classical Performance-Instrumental Soloist(s) (with orchestra)	Yo-Yo Ma	Elgar: Cello Concerto, Op. 85/Walton: Concerto For Cello & Orch.	All Nominees
1985	Best Classical Performance-Instrumental Soloist(s) (without orchestra)	Yo-Yo Ma	Bach: The Unaccompanied Cello Suites	All Nominees