One of the most acclaimed composers writing in Canada today, Hong Kong-born Alice Ping Yee Ho has written in many musical genres and received numerous national and international awards. Critics have called her music dramatic and graceful, while praising its “organic flow of imagination,” colorful orchestration, and emotive qualities.
Influences evident in her proudly eclectic approach include Chinese folk and operatic idioms, Japanese Taiko and African drumming, and jazz. Her ongoing goal is to explore new musical styles that are provocative to the ears.
Ms. Ho’s works have been often performed at national and international new music festivals, and have also been played by major ensembles, including the China National Symphony, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, Radio Television Symphonic Orchestra of Serbia, and many more.
“(The) Arts bring beauty!”
Sitting down with Alice Ho:
PS: How would you describe your music...
AH: In my compositions I am interested in eliciting an emotional response. I like to explore dramatic elements that are provocative to the ears, which is the principal reason my music has a rich array of dynamic forces, rhythmic energy and harmonic accessibility.
PS: What/who inspires you to create?
AH: Anything.... life experiences, music (all forms and styles), painting, movies, other people's stories, poems, news articles... great performers, great composers
PS: What do you intend to achieve with your music?
AH: Communication - connection with the audience and my music; with an ongoing goal to continue discovering new styles and approaches to make unique compositions. I am very keen to explore many cultures, inventing or discovering new compositional materials, as well as reinventing “old” forms or practices.
PS: Who's on your playlist?
AH: Chopin, Saint- Saens, Rachmaninoff, Ravel.... to Steve Reich, Henry Mancini, Danny Elfman, the Sting, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas...
PS: Why are the arts important?
AH: Music, poetry, painting, fashion, architecture.... they are the expression of mankind; it is the highest form of communication, to recognize, and display individual creative power, arts bring beauty!
PS: How would you describe your fashion sense/style?
AH: Combination of color and texture. I like variation: simple and clean for casual, bolder for special occasions. Fashion to me should be affordable and fun.
PS: What do you normally wear on stage?
AH: Usually a dress or gown when I play the piano. As composer, depending on the occasion, not entirely too formal, may be something creative?
