Penang Philharmonic Chorus
The youngest group of Penang Philharmonic, the Penang Philharmonic Chorus was formed in April 2019 under the Artistic Direction of Mr. Mak Chi Hoe.
In just under 8 short months, they've managed to give their debut concert "KOM!" - with various styles and genres of choral music - to a rapturous reception by the Penang public.
To quote Mr. Mak "The power of community singing where people from all walks of life can come together in a safe space to create, to share, to learn from one another, to inspire others and to be inspired by others - is a beautiful thing.".
Chi Hoe Mak enjoys a varied career as an award-winning choral conductor, singer, adjudicator and choral clinician. He is Artistic Director and Vocal Coach at Young Choral Academy – Malaysia’s first and leading centre for choral education and Resident Chorus Master for Kuala Lumpur City Opera. With his choirs, he has won numerous awards at several international choir competitions and engagements have taken him to China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Vietnam and throughout the UK.
He has been a member of the jury at the 2012 Vietnam International Choir Competition, 2016 World Choir Games in Sochi (Russia), 2017 North Sumatra International Choir Competition (Indonesia) and given clinics and presented in Ireland, Philippines, Singapore, UK and throughout Malaysia.
A graduate from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in the UK, Chi Hoe received two Master of Music degrees in Voice and Choral Conducting, both with Distinctions and was named one of Birmingham’s ‘New Generation Artists’ in 2008. He won all the major conducting prizes including the 2009 and 2010 Michael Beech Conducting Awards and the prestigious Principal’s Prize for ‘outstanding contribution to the musical life at the institution’.
Chi Hoe is the first Asian conductor to win a prestigious conducting fellowship to work with the London Symphony Chorus in 2010 which launched his conducting career in the UK. He was appointed Resident Chorus Master at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire from 2009 – 2012, taught in the Birmingham Junior Conservatoire and was Conductor of the Junior Conservatoire Chamber Choir. He made his UK festival debut in 2011 as Chorus Master for the Lichfield Festival Chorus where his work received much praise and has worked as Chorus Master of the Birmingham Cathedral Festival Chorus, Birmingham City University Chorus, Chorus Mentor for the internationally acclaimed Birmingham Opera Company and a staff conductor with Canzonetta Children’s Choirs in Manchester.
MAK CHI HOE
Artistic Director
Chi Hoe is co-founder of the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod (MCE) – a leading national and international choral event in Malaysia, a member of the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) and founding member of the Malaysian Choral Federation.