Chan Tze Law
Encyclopedia
Chan Tze Law is Associate Director of Singapore's Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Music Director of the Singapore Festival Orchestra and Founding Chief Conductor of the Australian International Summer Orchestral Institute.
First trained as a violinist, Maestro Chan graduated from the Royal College of Music
, London, where his teachers included eminent British conductors Christopher Adey, John Forster
, and the late Norman Del Mar
, as well as renowned British concertmasters John Ludlow
and Hugh Bean
. During his violinistic career he came under the tutelage of American virtuoso Charles Treger and co-founded of one of Singapore
's most successful chamber music groups "The Chamber Circle".
Chan is a frequent guest conductor and acclaimed performances of Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances
and Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique
were broadcast by Australia's ABC FM Classics. His recent return appearances to conduct Mahler's monolithic Symphony No.6
and Shostakovich's Symphony No 8
was described as a "Triumph" by the Australian press. In Singapore, he conducts the Singapore Festival Orchestra as well as the HSBC Youth Excellence Initiative concerts.
Chan made his Singapore conducting debut with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
in 2001 and has conducted orchestras in South-East Asia, Australia, China and the USA. Singapore's Straits Times noted "...it was refreshing to find sensuousness and restraint in equal degree, just when the music needed it most..." President of Manhattan School of Music
Robert Sirota; "...The music always comes first with Maestro Chan, followed closely by the musicians he is mentoring through his work, and the audiences for whom he is performing..." World-renowned British conductor and orchestra trainer Christopher Adey hailed his innovative and far-sighted approach to conducting, "...his ability to impart the benefit of his years of experience in so many fields of instrumental music making is formidable..."
The press lauded Chan's recent appearances at the Singapore Arts Festival
, The Straits Times
praising the Singapore Festival Orchestra's "admirable unison and shared passion" and the Business Times "rapid playing with perfect syncronisation". Chan's work at the helm of conservatory's New Music Ensemble received similar critical acclaim, The Straits Times declaring, "...Under the direction of conductor Chan Tze Law, the cause of new music here today could hardly be in better hands...". Recent premieres of works by Australian composers James Ledger and Douglas Knehans
were critically acclaimed and he has also worked with Singaporean composers Ho Chee Kong, the late Leong Yoon Pin, Bernard Tan
and the late Tsao Chieh
.
Chan's pedagogical interests and activities are international and wide-ranging. He has lectured at world renown American conducting pedagogue Gustav Meier
's graduate studio, and returned twice to the University of Western Australia
as Artist-in-Residence. He has conducted at Trinity College of Music
in London, Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music
in Australia and has received international recognition for developing Singapore's Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra into one of the best of its type in Asia during his tenure as its founding music director. Most recently, he led Singapore's newest orchestra the Orchestra of the Music Makers
to critical acclaim.
At the conservatory, Chan teaches conducting, conducts the New Music Ensemble and also heads the Ensembles and Professional Development Office. He is a member of the National Arts Council's Art Resource Panel, Singapore Symphony Orchestra's Audience Development Committee, Singapore National Youth Orchestra
's Management board and the Singapore Armed Forces
Music and Drama Company’s Supervisory board.
First trained as a violinist, Maestro Chan graduated from the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, London, where his teachers included eminent British conductors Christopher Adey, John Forster
John Forster
John Forster , was an English biographer and critic and a friend of author Charles Dickens.-Life:He was born at Newcastle upon Tyne. His father, a Unitarian who belonged to the junior branch of a Northumberland family, was a cattle-dealer...
, and the late Norman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar
Norman Del Mar CBE was a British conductor, horn player, and biographer. As a conductor, he specialized in the music of late romantic composers; including Edward Elgar, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss. He left a great legacy of recordings of British music, in particular Elgar, Vaughan Williams,...
, as well as renowned British concertmasters John Ludlow
John Ludlow
John Malcolm Forbes Ludlow was an English lawyer and leader of the Christian socialist movement.-Biography:...
and Hugh Bean
Hugh Bean
Hugh Cecil Bean CBE was an English violinist.He was born in Beckenham. After lessons from his father from the age of five, he became a pupil of Albert Sammons when he was nine years old. Later, he attended the Royal College of Music , where at age 17 he was awarded the principal prize for violin...
. During his violinistic career he came under the tutelage of American virtuoso Charles Treger and co-founded of one of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's most successful chamber music groups "The Chamber Circle".
Chan is a frequent guest conductor and acclaimed performances of Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances
Symphonic Dances (Rachmaninoff)
The Symphonic Dances, Op. 45, is an orchestral suite in three movements. Completed in 1940, it is Sergei Rachmaninoff's last composition. The work summarizes Rachmaninoff's compositional output....
and Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique
Symphonie Fantastique
Symphonie Fantastique: Épisode de la vie d'un Artiste...en cinq parties , Op. 14, is a program symphony written by the French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830. It is one of the most important and representative pieces of the early Romantic period, and is still very popular with concert audiences...
were broadcast by Australia's ABC FM Classics. His recent return appearances to conduct Mahler's monolithic Symphony No.6
Symphony No. 6 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 6 in A minor by Gustav Mahler, sometimes referred to as the Tragische , was composed between 1903 and 1904 . The work's first performance was in Essen, on May 27, 1906, conducted by the composer.The tragic, even nihilistic ending of No...
and Shostakovich's Symphony No 8
Symphony No. 8 (Shostakovich)
The Symphony No. 8 in C minor by Dmitri Shostakovich was written in the summer of 1943, and first performed on November 4 of that year by the USSR Symphony Orchestra under Yevgeny Mravinsky, to whom the work is dedicated....
was described as a "Triumph" by the Australian press. In Singapore, he conducts the Singapore Festival Orchestra as well as the HSBC Youth Excellence Initiative concerts.
Chan made his Singapore conducting debut with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a 96 members professional symphony orchestra. Its main performing venue is the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore although it has also toured widely in Asia, Europe and the United States...
in 2001 and has conducted orchestras in South-East Asia, Australia, China and the USA. Singapore's Straits Times noted "...it was refreshing to find sensuousness and restraint in equal degree, just when the music needed it most..." President of Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
Robert Sirota; "...The music always comes first with Maestro Chan, followed closely by the musicians he is mentoring through his work, and the audiences for whom he is performing..." World-renowned British conductor and orchestra trainer Christopher Adey hailed his innovative and far-sighted approach to conducting, "...his ability to impart the benefit of his years of experience in so many fields of instrumental music making is formidable..."
The press lauded Chan's recent appearances at the Singapore Arts Festival
Singapore Arts Festival
The Singapore Arts Festival is an annual arts festival held in Singapore. Organised by the National Arts Council, it is one of the most significant events in the regional arts scene. The festival, usually held in mid-year for a stretch of one month, incorporates theatre arts, dance, music and...
, The Straits Times
The Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
praising the Singapore Festival Orchestra's "admirable unison and shared passion" and the Business Times "rapid playing with perfect syncronisation". Chan's work at the helm of conservatory's New Music Ensemble received similar critical acclaim, The Straits Times declaring, "...Under the direction of conductor Chan Tze Law, the cause of new music here today could hardly be in better hands...". Recent premieres of works by Australian composers James Ledger and Douglas Knehans
Douglas Knehans
Douglas Knehans is an Australian/American composer and academic.Between 2008 and 2010 he was Dean of the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.-External links:* ²* ¹...
were critically acclaimed and he has also worked with Singaporean composers Ho Chee Kong, the late Leong Yoon Pin, Bernard Tan
Bernard Tan
Bernard Tan Tiong Gie was educated at the Anglo-Chinese School, Singapore, the University of Singapore and Oxford University...
and the late Tsao Chieh
Tsao Chieh
Tsao Chieh was a Singaporean composer and engineer.-External links:**...
.
Chan's pedagogical interests and activities are international and wide-ranging. He has lectured at world renown American conducting pedagogue Gustav Meier
Gustav Meier
Gustav Meier is the director of the Orchestra Conducting Program at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. He is also Music Director of the in Connecticut.-Biography:...
's graduate studio, and returned twice to the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
as Artist-in-Residence. He has conducted at Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
in London, Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music
Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music
The Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music forms part of the faculty of Arts at the University of Tasmania. It is a music training institution with courses and specializations in classical and contemporary music, music education, technology and composition....
in Australia and has received international recognition for developing Singapore's Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra into one of the best of its type in Asia during his tenure as its founding music director. Most recently, he led Singapore's newest orchestra the Orchestra of the Music Makers
Orchestra of the Music Makers
The Orchestra of the Music Makers is a Singaporean symphony orchestra composed of both volunteer and professional young musicians. It performed its first concert in August 2008 in the Victoria Concert Hall and has since been recognized as the most promising youth orchestra in Singapore with its...
to critical acclaim.
At the conservatory, Chan teaches conducting, conducts the New Music Ensemble and also heads the Ensembles and Professional Development Office. He is a member of the National Arts Council's Art Resource Panel, Singapore Symphony Orchestra's Audience Development Committee, Singapore National Youth Orchestra
Singapore National Youth Orchestra
The Singapore National Youth Orchestra is a youth orchestra under the purview of the Co-Curricular Activities Branch, Education Programmes Division, Ministry of Education. Members of the SNYO come from primary and secondary schools, junior colleges, international schools and tertiary institutions...
's Management board and the Singapore Armed Forces
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
Music and Drama Company’s Supervisory board.