Biography
“Pianists go on a lifetime’s search for the heart of this music, but Ke Ma is already closer than many, and quicker than most” – Peter Quantrill, The Arts Desk
“Her music unfolds naturally with ease and shows superb technical command” Xianjie, Zhu <Arts of Piano Magzine>
“Where [Timothy Ridout] and his sensitive pianist Ke Ma are at their most convincing is in the short character works.” Vieuxtemps Disc review on Gramophone
Born in China, Ke studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Professor Christopher Elton, Michael Dussek, and Andrew West, graduating in 2017 with a Master’s degree with Distinction and the DipRAM award. She was subsequently awarded a Doctorate in Music (DMus) by the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2025, where she studied with Professor Joan Havill, Dr Alexander Soares, and Rolf Hind.
Ke has received top prizes at major international competitions, including First Prize at the 2016 Concours International de la Ville de Maisons-Laffitte in France, where she was also awarded the Károly Mocsári Special Prize; First Prize at the 2014 Shenzhen Piano Competition in China; and Third Prize at the 2012 Ettlingen International Piano Competition in Germany. Her awards also include the Maisie Lewis Young Artist Fund, the Prince’s Award from the Worshipful Company of Musicians, and the Beethoven Piano Prize at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers.
As a soloist, Ke made her Wigmore Hall debut under the auspices of the Kirckman Concert Society, and has appeared in concert across the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Hungary, and the United States. Highlights of her orchestral appearances include performances with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, Sichuan Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, Suffolk Symphony Orchestra, Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra, Miskolc Symphony Orchestra, St John’s Chamber Orchestra, and Tapiola Sinfonietta in Espoo. Alongside her concert work, her discography includes the live solo album Chopin: Preludes, Op. 28 & Other Works. She also performed at York Minster as the first Chinese pianist to appear at the historic venue, where she was invited to speak about the impact of the pandemic on musicians and was featured on the BBC television programme Look North.
A committed chamber musician, Ke has undertaken a Tunnell Trust Award tour of Scotland, given a chamber recital at Wigmore Hall, and recorded works by Vieuxtemps for Champs Hill Records with violist Timothy Ridout. She also collaborated with cellist Margarita Balanas on Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No. 1 & Other Works from the Royal Academy of Music Bicentenary Series. Her collaborative work has further included performances with Cuarteto Casals at the Santander International Piano Competition and with Quartet Amabile at the Takamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan.
Ke is grateful for the support of the Ian Fleming Award from Help Musicians UK, as well as support from Hellensmusic and the Kirishima Music Festival.
©Anna Perger