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Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), "Our Music Talents Series: Suona and Guan Concert by Ma Wai-him" will be staged in September. Young suona and guan virtuoso Ma Wai-him will show his superb skills by playing a variety of compositions and adding new elements to Chinese music.
The programme will include the suona solo piece "Set tune - Dai-Kai-Man, Xiao-Kai-Men", the houguan and yehu work "The Toll of the Temple Bells" and the houguan and Chinese Music Ensemble compositions "Dance of the Dragon and the Phoenix in the Sky" and "Jin-Bu-Huan". Also to be performed are the guan, sheng and percussion piece "Donkey Grazing"; the suona and piano work "Chinese Rhapsody No.3 (Movements 1, 2 and 3)"; the suona and Chinese Music ensemble compositions "Beating Dates" and "Tante (Uneasy)"; and "The Pink Panther", "Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon" and the newly composed piece "Curveball" featuring suona and the Majestic G Band.
Ma Wai-him graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a Master of Music degree, with a double major in suona and guan. His teachers included Guo Yazhi, Law Hang-leung, Lau Hoi, Xia Boyan and Lo Wai-leung. Ma attended advanced courses in suona under Associate Professor of Chinese Music at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Liu Ying and guanzi under Professor of Chinese Music at the Central Conservatory of Music Hu Zhihou. He was thrice named "The Most Outstanding Member" by the Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra, and was Principal Suona with the Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra and the Hong Kong Music Lover Chinese Orchestra.
Ma has reinvented the suona by performing it in pop and jazz music crossover productions like Steve Wong's "It's alright LIVE 2013" pop concert, in which he was a guest soloist. He has also performed original compositions as a member of the Majestic G band at the music and arts festival Clockenflap in 2013, and has taken part in other events such as Festival Fringe's Endless Summer 2013 and the Heart-Town Festival 2014. He played the suona in the soundtrack recording of Stephen Chow's film "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons", and played the houguan in the recording project celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, "The Heritage of Cantonese Music".
To nurture and support local artists, the LCSD is presenting the Our Music Talents Series by providing performing opportunities to local artists and groups, enabling them to develop and showcase their achievements. "Our Music Talents Series: Suona and Guan Concert by Ma Wai-him" will be staged at 8pm on September 30 (Wednesday) at the Theatre of Hong Kong City Hall. Tickets priced at $120 and $160 are now available at URBTIX. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for CSSA recipients are available on a first-come, first-served basis).
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/program_857.html . For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online at www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Issued at HKT 10:30
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