CY Leo

Cy Leo is a harmonica virtuoso and composer who defines the role of a harmonicist, standing out as one of the few in history capable of performing both classical and jazz music at a high level on the harmonica. His exceptional musicianship has garnered international acclaim through performances and collaborations with notable musicians.

Leo's journey began under the influence of his father, PC Ho, founder of the Hong Kong Harmonica Association. He gained recognition early on, winning his first international award at the Asia-Pacific Harmonica Festivalbat just 10 years old. By age 19, he had accumulated 17 international titles, including two-time Solo World Champion at the World Harmonica Festivals in 2009 and 2013.

Since his debut on the global harmonica stage, Leo has performed as a concert soloist with esteemed orchestra such as the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and the Hartford Symphony. He has also served as a guest performer and adjudicator at prestigious international harmonica events, including The Seoul International Harmonica Festival and World Harmonica Festival. Leo immersed himself in both the classical and jazz scenes, headlining at major jazz festivals like the Seoul Jazz Festival 2025 and Montreux Jazz Festival China. He has headlined at renowned jazz venues such as SF Jazz, Nublu, JZ Club, and Blue Note in both Beijing and Shanghai. He has collaborated with world celebrated musicians such as Cory Wong, Gil Goldstein, Hayato Sumino, Manuel Valera, Maurice Brown and Justin Stanton from Snarky Puppy. His standout opening performance at the 2022 New York Times Square Ball drop show reached billions of viewers worldwide.

Acknowledged as one of the leading musical talents in the region, Leo has been featured in various media outlets and has collaborated with brands such as Krug, Louis Vuitton and Harry Winston. Driven by innovation, he co-founded Ginger Muse, an instrumental music label promoting original music in Hong Kong. He has released several albums, including Lost In Time, Angel & Demon, Transcendence, and Free Dimension. He earned the Young Artist Award at the 14th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards in 2020 and also received a full scholarship to study Jazz Performance at New York University.

Recently, Leo published his first harmonica tutorial book, The Mastery of Modern Chromatic. Harmonica, which has been well received in the global community. At Lowell Lo's concert, Beyond Imagination, in 2017, he was recognized on stage as "the best harmonica player in the world." He currently serves as the Co-Artistic Director of Music Lab.

Source: WestK
Cy Leo