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 1994 in China, Ke studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Christopher Elton, Michael Dussek, and Andrew West, graduating with a Master with distinction (DipRAM) in 2017. She is currently pursuing her Doctoral study at Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Professor Joan Havill, Dr. Alexander Soares, and Rolf Hind.
Ke has won top prizes at international competitions including 1st Prize at the 2016 Concours International de la vie de Maisons-Laffitte and Karoly Mocsari Special Prize (France), 1st Prize at the 2014 Shenzhen Competition (China), and 3rd Prize at the 2012 Ettlingen Competition (Germany) and winner of the Glass Sellers Beethoven Piano Prize Competition in 2021.
As a soloist, Ke made her debut at Wigmore Hall under the auspices of the Kirckman Concert Society, she has given concerts across the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Hungary, and the US. Highlights have included appearances with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, Sichuan Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Young Musicians Symphony, Suffolk Symphony Orchestra, Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra, and the Miskolc Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tamás Gál at the Palace of the Arts in Budapest. In 2023, her upcoming concerto performances includes St John's Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Nigel Wilkinson and Tapiola Sinfonietta in Espoo.
In 2020, Ke appeared as one of the soloists at the Gold Medal competition and performed the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 with the new low latency technique and collaborated with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Richard Farnes. In addition, it’s a privilege to perform at the York Minster as the first Chinese pianist ever in the prestigious venue, where she was also invited to discuss the influence of pandemic on musicians and was featured on the BBC television program ‘Look North’.
A committed chamber musician Ke has undertaken a Tunnell Trust Award tour of Scotland, given a recital at Wigmore Hall, and recorded music by Vieuxtemps for Champs Hill Records with violist Timothy Ridout. She has collaborated with the Cuarteto Casals at Santander International Piano Competition.
Ke is grateful for support from the Ian Fleming Award from Help Musicians UK; prizes from the Worshipful Company of Musicians, the Maisie Lewis Young Artist Fund and the Prince’s Award and the Hellensmusic.
