Yo-Yo Ma is a world-famous Chinese-American cellist. He is considered one of the best cellists in the world and has made over 50 albums. He was born to Chinese parents living in Paris. He began to study the cello with his father at age 4 and soon came with his family to New York, where he spent most of his formative years. Later, his principal teacher was Leonard Rose at the Juilliard School. He sought out a traditional liberal arts education to expand upon his conservatory training, graduating from Harvard University in 1976.