COCO MA
"... I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.''
— Kim Harrison,
New York Times #1 bestselling author of the Hollows series
COCO MA is a multifaceted musician and writer, known for seamlessly blending her passion for music, film & TV, and storytelling. Having written her debut novel at just 15 years old, she went on to publish the SHADOW FROST trilogy, followed by the first installment of the NIGHTBREAKER duology with Penguin Random House. She has travelled throughout the US & Canada as a panelist and convention guest. Translated into multiple languages, Nightbreaker was selected as a 2024 Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy finalist by the Canadian Children’s Book Center.
In addition to Ma's literary accomplishments, her career as a pianist has also brought her international acclaim. As a recipient of numerous top prizes in National and International Competitions, Ma has twice won the Canadian Music Competition, placed as a top prize winner at the Canadian Chopin Competition and the Zhuhai Mozart International Competition, and was awarded the Carl Nielsen Prize at the Aarhus International Piano Competition. Her solo debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra raised $50,000 for the SickKids Foundation.
Ma's exceptional artistry earned her a place in CBC’s Top 30 Young Classical Musicians to Watch and an ambassadorship with the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. As an avid chamber musician, she has performed at Lincoln Center's ChamberFest and on prominent platforms such as NPR’s From The Top, where she received the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist scholarship for her musical leadership.
Trained at The Juilliard School and The Royal Conservatory of Music, Ma graduated from the Yale School of Music with a master’s degree in Piano Performance. Her mentors include distinguished artists such as Emanuel Ax, Lang Lang, and Olga Kern. She is now continuing her undergraduate studies at Yale as a Cognitive Science major specializing in performance psychology.
Ma has written and interviewed for the Sundance Film Festival and intends to continue writing scripts for film & TV. At Yale, she is a music director and composer, leading, coaching, and performing in theater productions including Chicago, Company and more. Her versatility across disciplines has established her as a dynamic force in the arts.