HO Sung Chi, Steve 何崇志

Multi-award winning composer: Dr. Ho (Steve Ho) obtained his DMA from the University of British Columbia, Canada; his M.Mus and B.Mus (hon) from the University of Western Ontario, Canada. He has received awards from both the commercial and the academic fields such as his mass choral work Music of the Spheres which received the CASH Golden Sail for the Most Performed Local Serious Music 2005; his film score for the widely popular animation My life as Mcdull received the HK Film Award for best film score in 2002; in addition, his chamber Variations for 2 and orchestral work The Poet's Death has also received international prices such as the Silver prize in the William St. Clair Low Award in 1988 and the first prize in PROCAN of Canada 1989 respectively.

In addition, three of the motion pictures for which Dr. Ho composed the scores, have also received international awards, such as My life as Mcdull for the French Annecy Award 2003 for best animated film, Mcdull, Prince de la bun for the Taiwan Golden Horse award 2004 and more recently, McDull, me and my mom has also won the Taiwan Golden Horse Award 2016 for the best-animated picture.

His past notable commissioning patrons include the United Filmmakers Organization, Bliss Pictures Ltd, the Baptist University of HK and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra to name a few. Ho’s compositional palate ranges from the experimental and classical to popular and jazz. His commissioned works include commercial film scores, original musicals, orchestral and chamber works as well as a large output of choral works.

Composer in the field: His compositions have been recorded by BMG Taiwan, Marco Polo(Naxos), Sundream records, Sunwah Media, Bliss Media and others. His award-winning film scores - the soundtracks My life as Mcdull- has revived an interest from students and teachers alike towards classical music, and the CD continues to gain a cult following for his fresh approach to writing – sometimes jazzy, sometimes witty, sometimes serious, but always colorful and with the musical depth of a serious composer.

Lyricist, librettist and Choral Writer: Ho’s choral works are a grassroots affair, with increasing popularity throughout years of regular programming in concerts and festivals. Ho is passionate about using the Cantonese language in serious choral writing, infusing local colors into an international framework. The result is an output of 80 plus choral works and 6 musicals to date in his mother tongue, Cantonese. In pieces like 請勿靠近車門 - Please stand back from the Doors (a fugal choral work) and 藍色月光光 - Blue Moon Lullaby (a fusion of jazz and Cantonese folk song), Ho marries the high art of western music to the cultural colors of HK. Subsequently, Ho has contributed to enrich the choral repertoire, raising the profile of Cantonese language in the art form of choral writing. It was a great moment when his work In One Accord 只有和聲 was performed by choirs who speak no Cantonese in Beijing and in Taiwan.

Works of Recognized Standard: Ho’s works are not only featured repeatedly in concerts across the globe but they also have been chosen as part of the compulsory repertoire and syllabi in such festivals as the "Canadian Pacific Piano Competition 2000" (Wave Dance), the "Canadian Piano Odyssey competition 2001" (The Flight of Lady Sheng-Er), the Hong Kong Schools Speech and Music Festival (Legend of the Longing Rock - 2013) and the British Columbia Conservatory of Music Syllabus, Canada (Five Impressions on Sakura - Piano 2015), making Ho a composer that is connected to professional musicians and students at large.

The Educator: Recently appointed Adjunct Professorship by the South China Normal University, Dr. Ho is often invited to give lectures locally and internationally. He brings to the classroom practical applications in composition, leading small groups to brainstorm and improvise. In addition, his choral works have been published and adopted by the HK children’s choir as part of their regular curriculum, teaching generations of children to sing.

The Performer: A pianist who enjoys playing live music with other musicians, he is often invited to perform on stage for charity and community events, performing duo piano with such artists as Nancy Loo, Warren Lee, and prof. Peter Schneider, and the Piano Ensemble of Canada. Ho’s creativity extends to concert programming and multi-media presentation. He is as much at home performing on stage for a thousand as he is mastering a recording session in his studio, utilizing the most up-to-date music software.

Cultural Heritage in Contemporary Music Composition

Film Scoring and Musical and Concert Work

Expanding the repertoire of choral work in the Cantonese language for children and youth

Technology Application in Music Making Process

Kyeboard Harmony, Composition, Computer application in music production,

Adjunct Professor of the South China Normal University;

Composer in Residence of the Hong Kong Children's Choir;

Choir Professional Consultant, Yuen Long District Arts Committee Treble Choir

Artistic Advisor of the Hong Kong Treble Choir