Yo-Yo Ma (b. 1955) is perhaps the world's most famous cellist.
In the 1980s, Ma made several appearances on Sesame Street. He also contributed a "Barbecued Spareribs with Beer and Honey" recipe for Miss Piggy's 1996 cookbook, In the Kitchen with Miss Piggy.
In December 2011, Elmo appeared at the Kennedy Center Honors to help honor Ma.
Sesame Street appearances[]
- Ma appears by himself in the yard and plays "Sarabande". (First: Episode 2188)
- Ma appears by himself in the yard and plays the first Menuett from Johann Sebastian Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007. (First: Episode 2210)
- Appearing with a Honker, Ma plays a piece that Bob guesses is by Ludwig van Beethoven. Ma corrects him: it's a piece by Murray Beethoven. (First: Episode 2220)
- Elmo sees Ma's cello and thinks it's a "big fiddle" that belongs to Mr. Snuffleupagus, in contrast to Elmo's "little fiddle" (a violin). When Bob and Yo-Yo Ma straighten things out, he and Elmo play music together. (First: Episode 2221)
- Hoots the Owl challenges Ma to make the same sounds with his cello that Hoots made with his saxophone. (First: Episode 2221)