Prof. Chan Wing Wah, JP Composer.HK China

Biography

Professor Chan Wing Wah, JP

As a composer, Prof. Chan was the first Resident Composer of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and has written 9 symphonies plus over 200 musical works. Seven of his nine Symphonies were published on CD by Hugo Productions performed by the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra and Voronezh State Symphony Orchestra in Russia, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. His over 200 compositions range from western and Chinese orchestral and chamber works to choral music, hymns and children songs. Some of his music scores were published locally and internationally including the People’s Music Publishing in Beijing.

Internationally he has received First Prize in the International Double Reed Society Composition Contest, USA; the Yoshiro Irino Memorial Award from the Asian Composers League, and the 20th Century Masterpiece Award by the China Culture Promotion Society, Beijing. Locally he received the Composer of the Year Award from the Hong Kong Artists’ Guild (1991), the Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award (1992), TVB Children Song Gold Award, CASH Golden Sail Music Awards 2004 and 2007.

His works had been performed in the International Society for Contemporary Music-World Music Days Festival in Stuttgart, Germany; Summer Music Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia; Trieste Prima Festival in Trieste, Italy; Alesander Tansman Music Festival in Lodz, Poland; Festival LIM 2Mil in Madrid and the Festival BBK in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; Klang-Klee Festival to commemorate Paul Klee in Winterthur and Bern, Switzerland; and music festivals in Argentina, Australia, USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Russia, Romania, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines and Mainland China. His biography is included in the New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians Online.

As a conductor, Prof. Chan is the Music Director of the Hong Kong Oratorio Society(established in 1956) since 1995 and has been leading this choir with regular concerts and occasional concert tours to perform oratorios and other sacred masterpieces. In 2017 he brought the choir and orchestra to perform his Symphony No.8 ‘This Boundless Land’ for organ, choir and orchestra in the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles with great success. In 2019 he will bring the choir together with the Vancouver Oratorio Society to Toronto to premiere his Symphony No.9 ‘Universal Harmony. The Hong Kong Government appointed him Justice of the Peace in 2000. He was invited to become a Council member of the Chinese Musicians Association in 2009.

He received his BA in music from the Chinese University of Hong Kong studying composition with Professor David Gwilt. He went on to finish his Master and Doctor of Music degrees from the University of Toronto on a Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship studying with Professor John Beckwith. He had also attended the Darmstadt Summer Course for New Music with a stipend from the German Academic Exchange Service.

Chan had been Associate Dean of Arts, Professor of Music and Chairman of the Music Department, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Deputy Director at HKU SPACE and Vice-President of the Centennial College established by HKU. He is now a Council member of China Musicians Association, Chairman of the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong, Music Director of the Hong Kong Oratorio Society, Council member of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Chairman of the HK Association of Choral Societies, Adjunct Professor at CUHK and advisor to numerous groups including the Hong Kong Dance Company and Hong Kong Children’s Choir.

Portrait of Chan Wing Wah Biography Biography

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  • June222019

    Kristian Alexander - Music Director Prof CHAN Wing-wah, JP - Conductor HK Oratorio Society / Vancouver Oratorio Society

    In an exclusive concert to cap off the season, the kindred Spirits Orchestra is united with the voices of the Hong Kong Oratorio Society and the ...more Online ticketing

  • June182019

    Connecting Hong Kong and Canada through Music

    Kindly RSVP by emailing to events.rclchkl@utoronto.ca or by calling 416-946-3892. The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto is organising ...more Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library

  • May262019

    VOICES OF THE WORLD *Toronto Concert Tour Preview in HONG KONG*

    Programme: Scriabin Symphony No.1, Movement VI - Andante Dvořák Te Deum, Op.103 Chan Wing-wah Symphony No.9 “Universal Harmony”for tenor solo ...more Online ticketing

  • January102019

    香港新民獅子會新民至善慈善音樂會

    2019年1月10日晚上7:30香港文化中心音樂廳,客席指揮陳永華教授太平紳士......more

  • December282018

    HongKong-Zhuhai-Macao co-organised 2018 Concert at the Zhuhai Opera House on 28 December to celebrate the opening of the HongKong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge

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  • December162018

    HKOS 2018 X’mas concert “Sing-in-Messiah”

    at the Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre on 16 December Sunday. Open for public application on/before 17 November 2018more

  • November062018

    吸納各方人才 建立完善團隊

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  • October302018

    為香港乳癌基金會出心出力

    由陳永華作曲,陳鈞潤填詞,葉麗儀獻唱新曲乳癌篩查《檢查為乳健》more

  • October142018

    New Tune Chinese Orchestra - A Night of Concertos - Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall

    My Own Rhythm (World Premier) - composed by Prof CHAN Wing-wah, JP......more

  • September282018

    「個性養成離不開傳統文化滋養」

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  • September222018

    慶祝國家改革開放四十周年 樂響香江音樂會

    今年為中華人民共和國成立六十九年誌慶,亦是國家改革開放四十周年一個重要里程碑。為了讓廣大市民共同分享這份喜悅,特邀了國際級上海愛樂樂團赴港演出......more

  • September162018

    Season of Love ( Music by Chan Wing Wah, lyrics by Rupert Chan) performed by Bel Canto Singers

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  • September152018

    Hong Kong Oratorio Society - A Concert of Choral Masterpieces - Conductor/Commentator : Prof CHAN Wing-wah, JP

    16th Century Renaissance:The Heavenly Sound / The Elegant Classical Style / The Romantic Passion / Medieval:The Ancient Voices / The Baroque Grandeur......more

  • September152018

    Music by Chan Wing Wah, for “World Harmony”(World Premiere) 60th Gala Concert of Hong Kong Schools Music and Speech Association

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  • September142018

    Current Consultant and former Chairman Prof. Chan Wing Wah, JP of Hong Kong Composer's Guild

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  • March302018

    KSO - TCHAIKOVSKY AND LISZT with CHAN WING WAH's Harp Concerto (World Première) in Toronto on 30 March 2018

    Two ostentatious works for the piano by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt lead the evening’s concert featuring prize-winning pianist Ricker Choi. L ...more view details

  • September162017

    Hong Kong Oratorio Society September Concert : From Creation to Jubilation

    The Creation by Joseph Haydn / Benedicite by Vaughan Williams / Jubilate Deo by Dan Forrest / Chan Wing Wah Principal Conductor...more view youtube

  • June232017

    A Musical Journey to celebrate the HKSAR 20th Anniversary in San Francsico and Los Angeles on 23 & 25 June 2017

    Program highlight : Chan Wing Wah Symphony No. 8 This Boundless Land (Hong Kong) & music from American composers......more view youtube

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