Chan Ming-chi

Hong Kong born and bred composer Chan Ming-chi has been an active figure in ethnic orchestral music since the early 1980’s, and has made it his lifelong goal to uphold the continuum and development of the genre. Chan was awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of Education of Japan in the 1990’s to study at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and the Elizabeth Music University. His specialism was in the research of the sound of East Asian ethnic music and modern music composition. Upon graduation, he was, at various stage of his music career, Resident Composer, Assistant Conductor and Research Fellow at the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Associate Professor at the Tainan University of the Arts, and Professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Between 2004 and 2007, Chan followed Professor Yang Liqing at the Postdoctoral Mobile Research Station of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to conduct research in ethnic orchestral music arrangement, arts and technology.

The context of Chan’s music shows his diverse perception of sounds and their attributes, reflection on the integration of various factors such as the nature of sound itself, space-time effects, dramatic thinking and philosophy of Oriental culture. He is the recipient of many prestigious awards including the Government of Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs Award for Stage Arts, Commendation of the International Music Council of UNESCO, 14th and 17th National Music Composition (Choral and Chamber Music) Excellence Award, and the first International Internet Music Competition Award (Electronic Music). The most recent was the Artist of the Year – Music award from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council in 2018.