Yo-Yo Ma.Photo: Stephen Voss/Redux
For the first time in decades, Yo-Yo Ma has been spending extended time at home.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the legendary cellist, 65, has been enjoying quality time with his family — including his wife Jill Hornor, their children Emily and Nicholas, and two adorable grandchildren.
“I’ve been married 42 years and been gone for 27, touring. Now, being home during the pandemic has become normal. Jill hasn’t kicked me out yet!” jokes Ma, whoseuplifting new album with pianist Kathryn Stott,Songs of Comfort and Hope, is available now. “That’s the good part. The bad part is knowing I’ve been gone two-thirds of this time, and I know that I missed out on a lot.”
Reflecting on the tight-knit family he and Jill have built, Ma says he is especially thankful for Jill’s support through the years.
“To Jill’s great credit, she’s never made the children feel as if something was missing. I’m grateful to her for holding the fort,” says Ma.
The Ma Family.Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
After they wed and began thinking about expanding their family, Ma and his wife remained on the same page.
While they worked hard to keep their family life grounded, Ma — who has spent much of his career tirelessly bridging cultural divides through music — says he and Jill were also determined to teach their children “perspective.”
“It was important for us to expose them to different parts of the world,” he says. “So many years later, I’m happy to report they love traveling and learning languages and respect different ways of thinking.”
His two children are now in their 30s and carving out their own paths, and Ma says his priority continues to be his family.
“My grandchildren will be 82 and 83 in the year 2100,” says Ma. “These two little people that I love dearly make me think a lot about what kind of world I’m leaving for them.”
For Ma’s wide-ranging interview — in which he reflects on his long-lasting career, his 42-year marriage to wife Jill Hornor and the tight-knit family they’ve created — pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
source: people.com
