Kaiyang Ma

Kaiyang (Kai) Ma is a sophomore at Clayton High School and is eager to play as an alternate for the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. He has been playing percussion for 5 years and is continuing to expand his knowledge of music. 

Ma has performed with the Community Music School of Webster University’s (CMS) Young People’s Concert Orchestra, the 2025-2026 Interlochen Center of the Arts Percussion Workshop, and the Strike Institute. At school, Ma played in the pit orchestra for its production of Les Misérables. In addition, Ma spends his summers in China teaching percussion for children in need, curating music lessons to provide opportunities for children to enjoy music.  

Outside of music, Ma enjoys cooking recipes, mainly Russian and French, and traveling around the world to buy souvenirs for his friends. He is deeply thankful to the people who supported his musical journey, including CMS director Michael Faris as well as Clayton High School percussion teacher Noah Petti. Finally, Ma is thankful for his friends who have consistently supported his artistic endeavors.