Congratulations to the most amazing man and inspiration of my life Yo-Yo Ma ! I just read this at the web site of the Silk Road Project and couldn’t stop myself from sharing it with you all.
"On May 8, the 2012 Polar Music Prize recipients were announced: Yo-Yo Ma and Paul Simon. A prestigious international music award, the Polar Music Prize recognizes exceptional achievements in the creation and advancement of music in all its various forms.
The Prize is awarded to two laureates each year, in order to break down boundaries of genre by bringing together individuals from different musical worlds. Previous laureates have included Mstislav Rostropovich, Dizzy Gillespie, Sir Paul McCartney, Ennio Morricone, B.B. King, Renée Fleming, Bob Dylan, Isaac Stern, Joni Mitchell, Björk, Kronos Quartet, Ray Charles and Ravi Shankar, among many other celebrated musicians from diverse backgrounds.
The citation issued with the announcement recognized that “Yo-Yo Ma has dedicated his virtuosity and his heart to journeys of musical exploration and discovery around the world. With a cello and curiosity in his wake, Yo-Yo Ma has, in traveling routes like the Silk Road, united people from every continent. Yo-Yo Ma is living proof that music is communication, passion and the ability to share experience.”
His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden will present the prizes at a gala ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall in August. And our laureate will also perform. A concert with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra under maestro Sakari Oramo will take place at the Stockholm Concert Hall on August 25, 2012."
And no one deserves it more than him…Congratulations Yo-Yo!!!!