All Seasons

Season 1

  • S01E01 Meet Your Instructor: Yo-Yo Ma

    • October 21, 2021
    • MasterClass

    Yo-Yo performs Bach and shares insight that sets the tone for the class. While he once reached for perfection, it did not fulfill him. This realization changed his trajectory; he began focusing on human connection instead of human perfection.

  • S01E02 What Is Music For?

    • October 21, 2021
    • MasterClass

    Sound is energy. It sparks ideas and memories. This lesson explores the role of music and how it connects to humanity. Yo-Yo shares his philosophy and his belief that your interpretation of music is as unique as your fingerprint.

  • S01E03 Finding Connection and Common Purpose

    • October 21, 2021
    • MasterClass

    Yo-Yo highlights the importance of three core values in music and ultimately everything we do: seeking truth, building trust, and being of service. This lesson reminds us to bring these intentions and awareness into everything we do.

  • S01E04 Developing Creativity

    • October 21, 2021
    • MasterClass

    Creatives are the scouts for society. Yo-Yo emphasizes the need to think about the bigger picture to expand yourself as an artist. Learn how to break the boundaries of tradition and blend the old with the new.

  • S01E05 Performance: Bach, Suite no. 5, "Sarabande"

    • October 21, 2021
    • MasterClass

    Yo-Yo performs J.S. Bach’s Suite no. 5, "Sarabande", from the depth of his own human connection and expression.

  • S01E06 Expressing Ourselves to Make an Impact

    • October 21, 2021
    • MasterClass

    Yo-Yo dives into the impact of live performance and how to prepare yourself for a performance, whether you are a musician or not.

  • S01E07 Case Study: Balancing Structure and Emotion

    • October 21, 2021
    • MasterClass

    In a collaboration with two other cellists, Titi Ayangade and Ethan Philbrick, Yo-Yo presents the practices and intentions behind everything he has shared so far. They perform and express their interpretations of Bach’s Suite no. 3, "Sarabande".

  • S01E08 Case Study: Activating Conscious and Subconscious Expression

    • October 21, 2021
    • MasterClass

    This lesson focuses on Titi’s performance. The collaborators discuss how Titi personalizes the piece with her unique emotional imagination, and how conscious and subconscious communication can be accessed through music.

  • S01E09 Making Your Head, Heart, and Hands Work Together

    • October 21, 2021
    • MasterClass

    This lesson highlights how our senses are connected to our creative imaginations and their essential role in our ability to express ourselves. Both Titi and Ethan perform “The Swan” and discuss their emotional imagination.

  • S01E10 Adding Depth to Collaboration

    • October 21, 2021
    • MasterClass

    Yo-Yo, Titi, and Ethan collaborate through performance and create an original piece of music. They discuss the key elements of a successful collaboration and how nonverbal communication guides us through the improvisational process.

  • S01E11 Bridging Arts and Sciences

    • October 21, 2021
    • MasterClass

    Highlighting the importance of artists and scientists, Yo-Yo uses this lesson to articulate the interconnectedness of art, science, and philosophy.

  • S01E12 You Are Powerful

    • October 21, 2021
    • MasterClass

    Yo-Yo shares parting advice, reminding us that we are the creators of our narratives. At all times, we have the power of choice: “...the one thing you can always change is your attitude towards life.”