STAFF
Professor CHAN Hing-yan
James Chen & Yuen-Han Chan Professor in Music
James Chen & Yuen-Han Chan Professor in Music
Associate DEAN (Teaching and Learning)
Chan Hing-yan is currently James Chen and Yuen-Han Chan Professor in Music at the University of Hong Kong. Lauded for their subtle mediation between Chinese elements and Western idioms, Professor Chan’s compositions have been heard around the world at prestigious festivals. Recent works include five chamber operas (2023, 2023, 2018, 2015, 2013). The first two were commissioned by the Hong Kong Arts Festival, who also entrusted Chan as the composer and Music Director of an extravaganza staged cantata to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover in 2017.
Professor Chan served as Artist Associate 2016-18 of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Over the years, the orchestra has commissioned and presented his works at home and abroad in Europe (2005), South America (2010), Canada and New York (2012), Taiwan (2016), Beijing (2010), and Shanghai (2007).
Professor Chan received the “Best Artist Award (Music)” at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards in 2013. His three collaborations with the City Contemporary Dance Company (2009, 2007, 2005) won him much acclaim as well as a Hong Kong Dance Award in 2008, when he also received commendation for “Persons with Outstanding Contributions to the Development of Arts and Culture” in the Secretary for Home Affairs’ Commendation Scheme.
At HKU, Professor Chan was conferred the Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Award (2013-14), in recognition of his guidance to postgraduate students in the pursuit of research excellence. In addition, he has been an advisor to HKU’s Cultural Management Office since its inception, and has been instrumental in planning and delivering a number of innovative programmes for its MUSE series.
Selected Publications
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2023Heart of Coral 蕭紅 – a chamber opera after the life of Xiao Hong (75’). Based on the libretto of my 2013 opera of the same title, this new version was commissioned by the 50th Hong Kong Arts Festival for the dance opera “Love Streams”; postponed to the 51st festival due to COVID-19 fifth wave, premiered on 17 Mar 2023, Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.2023Kungfood 烏龍功夫 – a chamber opera in six scenes (60'). Commissioned by RhapsoArts Management Limited, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department as a programme to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Hong Kong City Hall; postponed 18 months due to COVID-19 fifth wave, premiered on 2 Jun 2023, Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium, HK.2018Ghost Love 鬼戀 – a chamber opera in two acts after Xu Xu's novelette of the same title (100'). Commissioned by RhapsoArts Management Limited, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, premiered on 12 Jan 2018, City Hall Theatre, HK.
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2017Double Happiness (30’). Commissioned by the Canberra International Music Festival, premiered on 7 May 2017, Fitters’ Workshop, Canberra, Australia.
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2017Hong Kong Odyssey 世紀・香港 (110’; composer of half of the music and Music Director of the whole project). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society for the 45th Hong Kong Arts Festival, premiered on 25 Feb 2017, City Hall Concert Hall, HK.
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2015Datong 大同 – the Chinese Utopia (100’). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society for the 43rd Hong Kong Arts Festival, premiered on 20 Mar 2015, City Hall Theatre, HK.
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2013Heart of Coral 蕭紅 – a chamber opera after the life of Xiao Hong (75’). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society for the 41st Hong Kong Arts Festival, premiered on 1 Mar 2013, City Hall Theatre, HK.
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2009Dao Extraordinaire 非常道 – for flute (doubling piccolo and alto flute), clarinet (doubling Eb clarinet and bass clarinet), dizi, sheng & percussion (5 players) (75’). Commissioned by the City Contemporary Dance Company for a dance project of the same time as the finale of the group’s 30th Anniversary celebration, premiered on 4 Dec 2009, Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium, HK.
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2007Warrior Lanling 蘭陵王 – for amplified toy piano, percussion (5 players) & three Chinese-wind players (75’). Commissioned by the City Contemporary Dance Company for a dance project of the same title, premiered on 5 Oct 2007, Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium, HK.
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2005The Conqueror 霸王 – a dance project using a 75’ compilation of my music composed within the period 1996-2004, together with two new compositions (13’). Commissioned by the City Contemporary Dance Company for the project, premiered on 9 Dec 2005, Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium, HK.
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2017November Leonids 十一月的流星 – for orchestra (11’). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, premiered on 18 Nov 2017, City Hall Concert Hall, HK.
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2017Hark the Phoenix Solitaire Cry – for sheng & orchestra (version 2017, 20’). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, premiered 20 May 2017, City Hall Concert Hall, HK.
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2016Ethereal Is the Moon 月魄 – for huqin & orchestra (26’). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta for the orchestra’s 2016 Taiwan tour, premiered on 19 Nov 2016, Zhongzheng Auditorium, Zhongshan Hall, Taipei, Taiwan.
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2016For Lo, a Phoenix Lone Cleaves the Air – for sheng & orchestra (18’). Commissioned by the Chinese Music Virtuosi for Mr. Loo Sze-wang’s debut in Milan in 2016; score completed in Feb 2016, premiered on 8 Mar 2016, Aula Magna Università Statale, Milan, Italy.
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2012Twas the Thawing Wind 一霎好風 – for sheng & orchestra (18’). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta for the orchestra’s 2012 North American tour, premiered on 22 Sep 2012, City Hall Concert Hall, HK.
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2010Hark the Phoenix Soaring High 鳳舞九天 – for sheng & orchestra (17'). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta for the orchestra’s 2010 South American tour, premiered on 16 April 2010, City Hall Concert Hall, HK.
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2008And the Moon Winks… 月靈 – for orchestra & two huqin soloists (25’). Commissioned by Mr. Wong On-yuen, premiered on 11 April 2008, City Hall Concert Hall, HK.
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2005There’s Something in the Wind… 風留韻事 – for orchestra & two Chinese-wind soloists (17’). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta for the orchestra’s 2005 European tour, premiered on 4 Aug 2005, City Hall Concert Hall, HK.
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2004On a Sudden Inspiration 驀然回首 – for erhu & an ensemble of Chinese instruments (18’). Commissioned by Singapore Chinese Orchestra, premiered on 3 Apr 2004, Singapore Chinese Orchestra Concert Hall, Singapore.
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2003A Leo's Discourse 楚狂絮語 – concerto for an ensemble of Chinese instruments (24’). Commissioned by Singapore Chinese Orchestra, premiered on 26 Sep 2003, Singapore Chinese Orchestra Concert Hall, Singapore.
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2001Illusions 鏡花水月 – for amplified piano & an ensemble of Chinese instruments (24’). Commissioned by Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, premiered on 14 Dec 2001, Cultural Centre Concert Hall, HK.
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2001Madame Cadavre 尸媚三變 – for violin & orchestra (15’). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, premiered on 24 Feb 2001, Kwai Ching Theatre Auditorium, HK.
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1998Enigmas of the Moon 月謎 – for huqins, cello & orchestra (19’). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, premiered on 24 Jul 1998, Shatin Town Hall Auditorium, HK.
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2024Night Music 夜樂 - for cello and percussion (9'). Commissioned by "Neon Sounds - multimedia concert," premiered on 1 Mar 2024, Shouson Theatre, Hong Kong Arts Centre.2024Autumn Comes 秋來 - for violin and sheng (14'). Commissioned by Patrick Yim (University of Notre Dame), premiered on 9 Jan 2024, Lee Hysan Concert Hall, CUHK; and on 9 Feb 2024, LaBar Performance Hall, University of Notre Dame, USA.2022Listen to the Sphinx 且聽風眠 – for sheng, sanxian & percussion (11’). Commissioned by Loo Sze-wang, recorded on 4 Oct 2022, Electroacoustic Music Studio, Department of Music, HKU.2022Sonic Bedazzlement 碧桃千樹花 – for sheng, harp & percussion (12’). Commissioned by Kelvin Cheng, premiered at “The Indiscernible Phoenix – Sheng Recital by Kevin Cheng” on 13 Sep 2022, Singapore Chinese Orchestra Concert Hall, Singapore.2022An Ink Artist’s Two Seasons 呂氏秋冬 – for violin, erhu & percussion (9’). Commissioned by US China Music Institute, Bard College Conservatory of Music for “Ink and Sound: a conference on Chinese music and visual arts,” premiered on 9 Apr 2022, Olin Hall, Bard College Conservatory of Music, New York.2021Seven Songs on Rinsing Jade Lyrics 漱玉詞歌曲七首 – for soprano, clarinet, cello, piano & percussion (32’). Commissioned by Grace Chiang, recorded on 25 Mar 2021, Electroacoustic Music Studio, Department of Music, HKU.2019A Poet's Four Seasons 辛詞四季 – for mixed choir & chamber ensemble (15"). Commissioned by Cantoría Hong Kong for the concert Colla Voce 2019, premiered on 8 Apr 2019, Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
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2018Sonic Affairs 風花雪月– for sheng & chamber ensemble (14"). Commissioned by Hong Kong New Music Ensemble for its Shanghai tour 2018, premiered on 18 Sep 2018, Academic Hall, Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
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2017Trauermusik: the year 1911 弔文 – for choir, piano & erhu (5’). Commissioned by Hong Kong Voices for the concert Roots, premiered on 3 Jun 2017, St. Andrew’s Church Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui, HK.
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2010Schmetterlingsträumen Lieder 夢蝶歌箋 – for soprano, sheng, pipa & percussion (17’). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Composers Guild for 2010 Musicarama, premiered on 23 Oct 2010, Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre Theatre, HK.
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2009Thus Flows the Watery Muse 水詩絮思 – for sheng, violin, amplified qin & piano (20’). Commissioned by Joseph Lin (Cornell) for the project “Chinese Musicians in Residence”, premiered on 20 Apr 2009, Barnes Hall, Cornell University, USA.
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2005Whence the Wind Returns… 風乍起 – for alto saxophone, accordion, double bass, dizi, sheng & zheng (18’). Commissioned by POING (Norway) and Chinese Music Virtuosi (HK), premiered on 28 Apr 2005, Loke Yew Hall, HKU.
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2004Where the Blossoms are in Myriads… 參差筠管逐芳菲 – for flute (doubling alto flute), clarinet, dizi & sheng (15'). Commissioned by Chinese Music Virtuosi, premiered on 24 Aug 2004, Cultural Center Borges, the 36th Festival Internacional Encuentros, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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2002Wander, My Soul, in Quietude 游心於玄默 – for six voices, dizi, sheng & zheng (5’). Commissioned by The Song Company (Australia) for the project “Six Hermits,” premiered on 26 Oct 2002, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Sydney.
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2002Liqourmania 酒狂 – for six voices with pipa ad libitum (4’). Commissioned by The Song Company (Australia) for the project “Six Hermits,” premiered on 26 Oct 2002, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Sydney.
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2002The Melody is No More 廣陵絕矣 – for sheng & three male voices (10’). Commissioned by The Song Company (Australia) for the project “Six Hermits,” premiered on 26 Oct 2002, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Sydney.
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2001Lachrimae Florarum 似花還似非花 – for six voices & harp (10’). Commissioned by The Song Company (Australia), premiered on 16 Jun 2001, Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney.
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2000Autumnal Apparition 秋靈弔月 – for amplified piano, dizi, sheng & percussion (13’). Commissioned by the Melody Conference 2000, premiered on 12 Jun 2000, Loke Yew Hall, HKU.
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2000Quotation of Queries 蘇問 – for six amplified voices & amplified piano (13’). An adaptation of my 1999 work of the same title, specially arranged for The Song Company (Australia), premiered on 29 Mar 2000, City Hall Theatre, HK.
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1999Derelict Landscape 古道西風 – for amplified erhu, yangqin & zheng (12’). Commissioned by Chinese Music Virtuosi (Hong Kong) for the group’s inauguration concert, premiered on 16 Jul 1999, City Hall Theatre, HK.
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1998Impressions of Bamboo 竹之斷想 – for dizi & violin (9’). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society for “Sonic Confluence,” the 27th Hong Kong Arts Festival, premiered on 18 Feb 1998, City Hall Theatre, HK.
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1996Seven Images of the Moon 蟾影七疊 – for huqin, pipa, zheng & percussion (12’). Commissioned by the Hong Kong Composers’ Guild for 1996 Musicarama, premiered on 6 Sep 1996, City Hall Theatre, HK.
Achievement Highlights
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2023Awarded Faculty Knowledge Exchange Award2018Conferred the James Chen & Yuen-Han Chan Professorship in Music
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2016
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2015Awarded Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Award, HKU
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2014Awarded Best Artist Award (music), Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2013, Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Courses Offered 2024/25