The David Rubenstein Show: Yo-Yo Ma

I meet Yo-yo Ma in 1997.. I was a young cellist and was in awe by his presence... He gave me free tickets to his concert.. he let me play on his 18th century Montagnana Cello,, was such a privilege to talk to him and see him play... as I was fascinated with all his recordings and the difficult music pieces he has played.. I was compelled to ask him the one question I have been pondering... "What was the hardest music piece you played?" I was think.. Prokofiev.. or Shostakovich.. or The Albert Cello Concerto... but he said..."The hardest piece I play is the one that I play for the first time (i.e. something new you learn)" I have always remembered his words.. coz.. basically.. nothing is really hard if you learn how to do it.. it is only hard when you first learn it... so logical... I used that in my music studies when approaching new music I learn. I hope to see him perform again..

Yo Yo Ma is effortlessly charming and humorous and it completely goes over Rubensteins’ head.

there's something so calming about the way he speaks.

Rubenstein just can't grasp where Mr. Ma is going with the deeper perspectives in this conversation...he keeps trying to get to a grade school level of conversation while Mr. Ma is attempting to share some of the most important aspects of practice, art, perspective in life!

I had to stop watching the interview because Rubenstein continued to completely ignore YoYos entire being. YoYo had to work harder and harder just to express himself, until I couldn't bear to witness his frustration any longer. I met him back stage after a concert he played at Harvard in 1977, he had just graduated and I was still in college, and when I thanked him from my heart for the music he was taken aback by my sincere passion for his performance and was surprised and grateful for my comments. A humble, and great, person.

David Rubenstein keeps missing YoYo Ma's humorous gems! I keep chuckling and have to go back because the interview just continues without the pause for laughter! Love listening to him talk as well as play.

I love how Mr. Rubenstein is trying to box in the interviewer with factual questions: facts and figures that pertain to his history, his performances, his approach, etc. and Yo Yo Ma is trying to explain how music and art transcends all that. Yo Yo Ma is a world treasure; not merely for his playing, but for his soul.

Damn david let's the man finish his train of thought

Yo-yo Ma is such a beautiful, humble soul. His interest in anthropology explains his passion for so many genres of music. I love that he's so passionately interested in so many things, most importantly, his fellow human beings! The mini cello lesson was such a generous thing to do.

honestly, i don't appreciate the interviewer's style very much. Mr. Rubenstein seemed to be more interested in his own "brilliant" questions than hearing Ma out and letting Ma finish his train of thoughts. Mr. Ma wanted to go deeper but Mr. Rubenstein didn't have depth to go further with Ma but rather shifted to prescribed questions.

I adore and respect Yo-Yo Ma. He is a beautiful human being inside and out. He communicates with all people and share his passion with his music around the world. His presence, his music touches and heals people all over the world! He deserved the world Nobel Prize. I requested my family to play Yo-Yo Ma’s record at my funeral🙏

What an amazing, talented, humble Yo Yo Ma is. So glad found this.

”Master an instrument is there to serve the purpose of expression. The purpose of doing something in music is to find your voice.“ 🤘

Amazing to get inside his brain. Genius. It’s also fascinating to watch the interaction between an analyst and an artist.

They are at two different frequencies. World of money (power, recognition, etc) vs world of music (soul, aestheticism, culture, values, inner fulfillment)🍀🌸

This is how it's like when you pair up the grumpiest kid with the happiest kid in class

Gosh David Rubenstein is so cringe-worthy. Yo Yo Ma is a whole league of his own. So passionate and charming. Virtuoso.

Rubinstein does not understand his subject. He glosses over the most profound moments from his interviewee as if he were working down a checklist, but he misses the whole point. Rubinstein asks about acoustics, Yo Yo Ma explains the magic and chemistry between the musicians. Rubinstein asks about success, Yo Yo Ma tells that success is giving a sublime performance, not about awards or how many albums you have cut. It was a chance to grow as an interviewer. It is an intelligence without depth, if such a thing is possible.

I remember meeting him when he gave a recital at SUNY Stony Brook. He's truly a great cellist and a very great man.

Probably the greatest revelation for me in this interview is that at the direction of his father, the first piece Yo-Yo Ma played is also the piece he is most famous for - Bach: cello suite no. 1 in G major, Prelude. That revelation brought tears to my eyes because I am sure he remembers his father every time he plays it. Thus, it is only right that this piece, most likely his fondest, is what he's best known for. Its a tribute to his father.