John Ma is an active violinist in Hong Kong, Macau and China. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and a Master's Degree in Music from the University of Cincinnati, Conservatory-College of Music in the United States, under the guidance of Professor Michael Ma and Kurt Sassmannshaus.
As an orchestral player, he was selected as one of the members of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas and gave three performances at the Sydney Opera House in March 2011. He also participated in many major orchestra performances in Hong Kong and Macau, such as the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HKPO), the Hong Kong Sinfonietta Orchestra (HKSO), the Hong Kong City Chamber Orchestra (HKCCO), the Hong Kong Virtuosi Society Orchestra, and the Macau Chamber Orchestra (MCO) as a guest violinist.
He was the concertmaster of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Academy Symphony Orchestra (HKAPAASO), the Macau Conservatory Chamber Orchestra, and the Macau Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO).
Ma also appeared in different orchestras as a soloist, such as the Macau Virtuosi, the Macau Chamber Orchestra, the Macau Conservatory Orchestra, the Macau Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Academy Symphony Orchestra. In 2007, he won the HKAPA Concerto Competition and performed in the winners’ concert in the Juilliard Master Class and Concerts Series with the HKAPA ASO. He has also been invited by RTHK 4 to be a guest artist to perform. In 2013, Ma was the soloist of the Macau Virtuosi China Tour, and in 2014, he was one of the soloists to perform all of Mozart's Violin Concertos within one day at the Macau Art Festival 2014. In March 2016, Ma accepted the invitation from Stephen F. Austin University in Texas, USA, to give a solo performance and masterclass. In 2018 he was invited to be the guest violinist of the RTHK4 String Quartet.
Ma accepted the invitation to form the Strings Orchestra for the University of Macau (UMSO) in 2010 and was appointed the Music Director and Conductor, aiming to enhance classical music on campus and form the unique sound of the UMSO. In the same year, he founded the John Ma Violin Studio. He is currently the coach of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Excel program and violin tutor of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Junior Programme.