About 25 years ago, the acclaimed cellist asked a high school student to help him name his instrument. Yo-Yo Ma brings his cello — aka "Petunia" — to his conversation with Terry Gross. He talks about being a child prodigy, his rebel years, and straddling three cultures: American, French, and Chinese. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
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I'm Terry Gross.
I hope you're enjoying your Thanksgiving for the holiday.
We're going to feature one of our favorite interviews of the year with Yo Yo Ma.
He brought his cello, which he played for us.
He's the most famous contemporary cellist and perhaps the most revered in the US his best known recordings are of the Bach solo cello suites, which he's recorded three times, in 1983, 1997 and 2018.