Blessed with gorgeous tone, world-spanning taste, and a generous spirit that attracts both collaborators and listeners to his myriad projects, this cellist is one of the most creatively successful household-name classical artists of the modern era. Ma's ambassadorship is as highly praised as his recordings of Bach's cello suites; less well-known, but no less interesting, are the partnerships with Philip Glass (on the soundtrack for Naqoyqatsi) and the composer Bright Sheng. As if that weren't enough, Ma's Silk Road Ensemble has helped break down the assumed barriers between the Western classical tradition and other world musics—while also commissioning intriguing new pieces from the likes of Vijay Iyer.