Ma Wai Him ○

Ma Wai Him is currently Principal Suona and a guan virtuoso with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra.

Ma learned Chinese wind instruments from his father, Ma Wing-sing, at a young age. He completed his Master’s degree programme with double major in suona and guan at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2015. His teachers included Guo Yazhi, Law Hang Leung, Lau Hoi, Xia Boyan and Lo Wai Leung. He also attended advanced courses in suona under Liu Ying and guan under Hu Zhihou. He was a former Suona Principal with the Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra and the Hong Kong Music Lover Chinese Orchestra, and was a Star Tutor in Suona at the RTHK Radio 4 programme, R4 Buddies. He was the winner of the Silver Award-Folk Instruments section at the 16th Osaka International Music Competition in Japan in 2015. 

One of the highlights of his solo performances in recent years was the solo recital presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in Our Music Talents Series: ‘Suona and Guan Concert by Ma Wai-him’ (2015). He also curated the HKCO concert, ‘The Chinese Music Time Machine’ in the same year. As winner of a concerto competition at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, he shared the stage with the Academy Symphony Orchestra in a symphonic version of A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.

Ma is actively engaged in playing the suona in crossover genres, such as pop and jazz. He guested in Steve Wong’s concert, ‘It’s Alright LIVE 2013’, and performed original compositions as a member of The Majestic G band at the music and art spectacular in Hong Kong, 2013 Clockenflap, in Festival Fringe’s Endless Summer2013 and Heart Town Festival 2014. He played the suona in the soundtrack recording of Stephen Chow’s film, Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons. In 2014, he was invited to guest perform the guanzi, suona and dizi at the HKAPA’s ‘The Spirit of Birds – Creative Sand Art Concert’.