Yo-Yo Ma turns 60 on 7 October, 2015, and to celebrate one of the world's best-loved classical music heroes, here is an interview I did with him for the November 2011 issue of The Strad. At that point his Goat Rodeo CD with mandolin player Chris Thile and bass player Edgar Meyer had just come out, but typically for his lateral-thinking mindset, the conversation ranged far and wide over many of his other passions Yo-Yo Ma tells me he’s no good at improvising: ‘It’s not my stre

This year, my first as a freelance writer and journalist, I've had the privilege to meet some amazing musicians during my assignments for various magazines and websites. Even as an amateur violinist, hearing their insights has changed the way I approach music, or at least made me think carefully, and I hope you find them useful or stimulating. Follow the links for more details, and if you disagree with any of them please add your comments at the end! 1) Playing on the bar lin