Maria Lui is a ​film composer, remix artist, and singer-songwriter of Chinese/Filipino descent​, who was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. With piano as her main writing tool, Maria is passionate about composing emotionally captivating pieces, and creating intimate spaces to infinite atmospheres. While adaptable to writing in different genres, Maria is most known for producing orchestral, electronic, and musically sound designed hybrid scores in shades from light to dark. Her life experiences, love of collaboration and empathetic nature, enables Maria to musically express the dynamic range of storytelling with thoughtfulness, instinct and sensitivity.
In 2019, Maria embarked upon earning her MA in Professional Media Composition for Film, Television and Video Games, with ThinkSpace Education and The University of Chichester, and graduated with distinction in 2021. She is a member of​ SOCAN, The Canadian Federation of Musicians, The Screen Composers Guild of Canada​, and The Alliance for Women Film Composers​; and through these organizations received extraordinary mentorship from ​award winning composers Chris McGuire, Catherine Joy, and Graeme Coleman.​
Her most recent work includes the CBC feature documentary 'What We Carry' (2025), which was directed by Jessie Anthony and premiered at the 2025 Edmonton International Film Festival; and in 2023, Maria delivered a library album commissioned by ESPN in the tone of 'Serious Piano and Strings', merging her musical aspirations with her former background in golf.
Maria landed these projects through mentorships designed to elevate inclusivity, respectively; Core Music Agency's 'Female and BIPOC Mentorship Program 2022', with talent agent Trish Klein, founder Ari Wise, and Emmy-nominated composer Miriam Cutler, who further developed Maria's administrative and composing skills when working with independent, Hallmark, and Lifestyle Channel filmmakers; and the 2022 Women's Audio Mission mentorship program 'Composing for TV, Advertising & Film', whose cohort was led by former AWFC President, Catherine Joy, and resulted in a selective acquisition by ESPN of Maria's orchestral fusion track ‘Speed’.
Prior to schooling, Maria earned a short but diverse list of credits, most notably co-composing an award-nominated score with platinum​-record awarded producer Ken ‘hiwatt’ Marshall​, and Juno awarded Jeremy Breaks, for​ the multi-award winning feature length film based on Stephen King’s short story, ​‘The Doctor’s Case’ (2018), adapted for screen and directed by James Douglas.
Maria’s pivotal step back into music occurred when she entered a remix contest for the band Collide, and landed on their remix album ‘Mind &Matter’ (2018), with her orchestral interpretation of ‘Intruder - Maria Lui December Remix’; re-released by Collide in 2025 as a single and double album release of their remastered original catalogue 'Signals - Volume 2'. She also had the pleasure to contribute vocals and instrumentation for an epic collaboration of electronic and industrial artists’ debut release ‘Black Line’ (2017).
Immediately after graduating, Maria created audio logo branding for Emmy awarded camera operator and editor, Artur Gajda, of ThinkFarm Productions; and contributed original score to Gajda’s documentary, 'A Normal Life' (2021). She also volunteers as a preliminary round judge for The Cue Tube’s 'Annual Score Relief Competition', whose proceeds go towards the global organization, In Place of War.
Maria's 17 years, before her return to music, were lived in Europe where she learned golf as an adult beginner, and later became the only female in Europe to be trained under Mac O'Grady (MORAD), alongside PGA Tour Professionals and UK National Coaches. She earned her Body Matters in Golf Biomechanics, Mind Factor Mental Game Coach, and UKPGA Golf Instructor certifications; and worked for ESPN/ABC during The British Open Golf Championship tournaments for several seasons, covering the men’s, women’s and senior’s rotations. Maria was also a mental game coach and caddy on The European PGA Senior Men's Tour; and upon her return to Canada, operated her own golf school. Maria aims to apply the work ethic, focus and commitment traits she gained through golf, towards her journey back into music; and hopes to be rewarded with rich life experiences attained through developing her skills, overcoming milestones, and creatively expressing herself through music.