Ma has appeared in an episode of the animated children's television series, "Arthur" (in which D.W. kept calling him "Yo Ma-Ma") as well as several other television programmes including "The Simpsons". Ma performed a duet with Condoleezza Rice at the presentation of the 2001 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal Awards. He made a programme about "Bach: Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello". 