Alice Ho

Alice Ho is a freelance composer/pianist dedicated to new music. Born in Hong Kong, Ms Ho immigrated to Canada in 1982 where she makes her home in Toronto. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition (with high distinction) from Indiana University and a Masters of Music in Composition from University of Toronto. Ms Ho is the recipient of numerous awards and recognition such as the du Maurier Arts Ltd. Canadian Composers Competition, Martin Hunter Artists Award, MACRO International Composition Competition, Luxembourg International Composition Prize, and the International League of Women Composers Competition.

Her works have been performed at new music festivals in Canada and abroad including ISCM World Music Days 2007 in Hong Kong and 2000 in Luxembourg, Toronto Harbourfront Centre’s 2007 New World Stage International Performance, 2006 Percussive Arts Society Convention in Austin Texas, Open Ears New Music Festivals 03 & 05, 2004 NFL Sound Symposium, Made In Canada New Music Festival, Vancouver International New Music Festival, Winnipeg New Music Festival, Asian Music Week 2000 in Yokohama, Japan, 2003 Chinese Composers’ Festival and Musicarama International Contemporary Music Festival in Hong Kong. Her works have been performed by many major orchestras and ensembles including China National Symphony, Shenzhen Symphony, Florida Orchestra, South Dakota Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, the Esprit Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony, Victoria Symphony, Windsor Symphony, Regina Symphony, Amsterdam’s Nieuw Ensemble, Luxembourg Sinfonietta, Le Novel Ensemble Moderne, Continuum, and the Toronto New Music Ensemble. Her commissions include writing for the Penderecki String Quartet, the Esprit Orchestra, Tapestry New Opera Works, double concerto for violist Rivka Golani and bassist Joel Quarrington, double concerto for Duo Concertante and the Newfoundland Sinfonia, percussion concerto for Canadian percussion virtuoso Beverley Johnston, and cello concerto for cellist Wendy Law and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. In 2006, an independent film “Garage” which she scored the music for, won top award at the Calgary International Film Festival.

Between 2008 and 2009, Ms Ho has 10 world premieres: performance highlights include a new work for Chinese Orchestra at the 2008 Beijing International Congress on Women in Music, a new work for double choir for the Polish Radio Choir at the 2009 Asian-Pacific Contemporary Music Festival in Korea, a concerto for Chinese Classical Dancer and chamber orchestra for the Newfoundland Symphony’s Sinfonia, new works for the Victoria Symphony, Duo Piano 2X10, and Toronto’s new music group Toca Loca. Her new solo CD Ming for percussion music will be released by Centredisc in 2009.