About

Mario Tsz-chun To is an established guitarist-composer who has collaborated with esteemed international artists including Meng Su, Sergio Assad, David Tanenbaum and Hungarian conductor Gergely Madaras. Mario is currently a teaching faculty member of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Pre-College) and the California Conservatory of Music.

As a solo guitarist, Mario was among some of the finest musician in the bay area to be invited to perform in the Lying in State ceremony for the former mayor of San Francisco Dianne Feinstein in 2023. He first achieved recognition by winning the Tarrega Malaysia International Guitar Festival Competition in 2017 and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Concerto Competition in 2021. Mario was also honored to perform at the renowned Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, courtesy of an invitation from the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Mario's artistry has been sought after internationally, with invitations to perform as a soloist by organizations such as the Hong Kong International Airport, the Asia Society, and the Royal Commonwealth Society. In 2020, the University of Hong Kong invited him to deliver a lecture on the music of Tōru Takemitsu.

As a composer, Mario was most recently commissioned by Meng Su to write The History of Knowledge for modern and historical plucked string ensemble, later arranged to be performed in a classical guitar ensemble. His creative works have earned him invitations to prestigious events, including a concert in Palo Alto, CA, hosted by The Peninsular Guitar Series in 2023, where he presented his original compositions and arrangements. In 2023, he served as a consortium judge for the esteemed Barlow Prize Competition held by the Brigham Young University.

In ensemble settings, Mario has demonstrated his exceptional collaborative skills as a recurring member of the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble and as the featured artist in the NOVA Ensemble Guitar Project in 2019. In 2024, he performed in San Francisco Opera's Merola Series, playing both the theorbo and classical guitar. He has also showcased his versatility in orchestral playing with his participation in the world-premiere chamber opera "Beauty and Sadness" in 2019.

Mario's achievements are underscored by his receipt of numerous scholarships, including the prestigious HSBC Hong Kong Scholarship, which he has been awarded three times, and the Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme. He has also been honored with scholarships from the Society of APA and the Grantham Scholarship, among others.

During his master’s degree program at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Mario served as a teaching assistant, benefiting from full scholarships for guitar performance studies with Meng Su and composition studies with Sergio Assad. He is a graduate of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where he received guidance from Meng Su and the Academy Director, Prof. Adrian Walter.