Yo-Yo Ma To Recieve Arts Medal

World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma ’76 was named last week as the recipient of the 10th annual Harvard Arts Medal, an award given to Harvard faculty and alumni at the Arts First celebration in May.

University President Lawrence H. Summers will bestow the medal upon the famed musician on May 9 in a ceremony that will conclude the Arts First festival and include a discussion with Ma about his life experiences.

The weekend festival and the award are both sponsored by the Office for the Arts (OFA). Each year, OFA honors a Harvard or Radcliffe faculty member or alum “who has achieved distinction in the arts and who has made a special contribution to the good of the arts, to the public good in relation to the arts or to education broadly defined,” according to a press release.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest cellists of all time, Ma has released more than 50 albums and has 15 Grammy Awards to his name.

“[He’s] one of the most extraordinary musicians of our time. He is not only universally recognized as a virtuoso at the cello, but also as a major creative force at exploring new works as well as traditional works from other cultures,” said OFA Director Jack Megan.

But Ma has also given back to the musical community.

“He could just have had a career as a concert artist, but he has done so much more,” said OFA Associate Project Manager Ingrid Schorr.

Ma has been a mentor for young musicians and developed the Silk Road project, a program that encourages international understanding through music, according to Schorr.

Trained as a classical cellist, Ma has sought to master his craft throughout his career even as he branched out into new realms of musical expression. He has worked with instruments and traditions from across the globe.

The process of choosing Ma for the Harvard Arts Medal began more than a year ago. The Harvard Arts Medal committee is comprised of faculty, members of the Board of Overseers, administrators and students. It was presented with a long list of potential honorees from the substantials ranks of artistically brilliant Harvard alumni.

Whittling down such a pool of qualified nominees was no easy task, according to Megan.

Megan, who sat on the committee, described the selection process as “not a science, but a give and take” among the committee’s members.

He said that in the end Ma’s accomplishments won him the honor.

“He represents the pinnacle of artistry in many respects,” said Megan. “And he is a very deserving choice. We are honored to honor him.”

In past years, the committee has recognized some of the premier artistic figures of the day—among them writer John Updike ’54, actor Jack Lemon ’47 and musicians Bonnie Raitt ’72 and Pete Seeger ’40.

Ma took up the cello at the age of four and attended the Juilliard School before coming to Harvard. He could not be reached for comment yesterday.