Yo-Yo Ma

“The sound of a cello is like a voice, but it is not my voice.”

“When you learn something from people, or from a culture, you accept it as a gift, and it is your lifelong commitment to preserve it and build on it.”

“A great artist can look at a blank canvas and see the universe in it.”

“Music enhances the education of our children by helping them to make connections and broadening the depth with which they think and feel.”

“As you begin to play, you learn to listen.”

“Comfort is the enemy of creativity.”

“We're all cultural hybrids.”

“Sound is ephemeral.”

“I think one of the great things about being a musician is that you never stop learning.”

“No one is a hundred percent right, and no one is a hundred percent wrong.”

“A sense of humor is a major instrument of survival.”

“Creativity is a part of human nature. It can only be untaught.”

“In culture, you can trace a lineage of human creativity.”

“Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you're passionate about something, then you're more willing to take risks.”

“Music is the emotional life of most people.”

“The role of the artist is to ask questions, not to provide answers.”

“Good things happen when you meet strangers.”