Yo-Yo Ma is the most famous living classical musician. That can't actually be proven, of course, but outside of fussy opera devotees or a stray Itzhak Perlman groupie, no one will argue it. When he was seven, Ma's talent brought him to the Kennedy White House. He firmly entered the classical world's awareness in his teens, and his many cross-genre collaborations have taken him into other music worlds. He's a United Nations Messenger of Peace and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Even if you're not a classical music fan, you know about him, if only because you heard his name as a punchline on "Seinfeld," saw his cartoon visage shooting cello bows at Homer Simpson, or watched him (sort of) perform at Obama's inauguration. He's talented, articulate, and, by all accounts, one of the nicest, most genuine famous people you'll ever care to meet. more ›

Double bass virtuoso Edgar Meyer finishes his residency with the University of Chicago Presents with a series of events from Thursday through Saturday. more ›