PBS Features Yo-Yo Ma

On December 8, cellist and humanitarian Yo-Yo Ma starred on talk-show host Tavis Smiley’s PBS show, where the two chatted about his enormous Sony Music box set, which traces Ma’s career to the present. “What struck me about what these 90 CDs mean is not just that the box is big or heavy,” Ma told Smiley on the program, “the music is the tip of the iceberg of all the deep friendships and the intense relationships and the people that guided me, from Isaac Stern [to] Emanuel Ax [and] David Zinman.” Watch the two discuss inspiration and what makes Ma one of the best cellists in the world here.

Elliott Carter Marks 101st Birthday

Make that “centenarian plus.” Elliott Carter, the two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning composer and close confidant of Charles Ives, turned 101 years old on December 11. As a toast to Carter, the independent Bridge Records will release the album Elliott Carter, Vol. 8: 15 compositions (2002–2009), which includes premiere recordings of his solo, chamber, vocal, and orchestral music. The album is due out February 1. bridgerecords.com

Viola Congress Updates Website Look

The coordinators behind the 38th International Viola Congress have unveiled a fresh, clean, and interactive website where users can log in and leave comments. The next congress will be June 16–20 in Cincinnati, Ohio. ivc2010.com

Atlanta Symphony Premieres Jazz Symphony

As part of the 18th annual A King Celebration Concert, which honors the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on January 18 will give the world premiere of Jazz at Lincoln Center artistic director Wynton Marsalis’ Blues Symphony.

Teen Fiddler Honors Slain Journalist

Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin holder Sam Weiser is honoring the late Pearl with his debut album Sam I Am (Disappear Records), which dips into music written by Carlos Santana, Bill Monroe, Eddie Vedder, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Eddie Palmieri, and George Shearing, among others. Pearl, an amateur fiddler, was a Wall Street Journal reporter and bureau chief who was murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002. Weiser, 15, is donating the profits of the album to the nonprofit Daniel Pearl Foundation, which promotes peace through music. myspace.com/samweisermusic