Biography — Susan Chan, pianist
In her second New York recital in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in September 2007, the New York Concert Review described Susan Chan as “a thoughtful musician and a sensitive player” who “brought revelations” by performing “the invaluable service of opening up new musical worlds to her audience.” The New Yorker called her “an energetic advocate for contemporary music.”
Ms. Chan performs extensively as soloist and chamber musician, and actively promotes music from Asia and that written by women composers in addition to traditional repertoire. She has performed in recitals and music festivals in the United States and Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia, including the Dartington International Summer School in the UK. She has been featured on public television and radio in the US as well as Radio Television Hong Kong. Various prizes she has received in competitions include first prizes in the Hong Kong Young Musicians Award, the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale, and the Mozart Piano Concerto Competition at Indiana University. She has appeared as soloist with the Dnepropetrovsk State Philharmonic in Ukraine, Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra in Indiana. Her CD discography includes Pièces Parisiennes on the Hester Park label featuring French Classical women composers Villeblanche and Bigot, as well as her latest recordings East West Encounter I and East West Encounter II on the MSR label, which feature pieces by western and contemporary Asian composers. (Both are available at MSR Classics and amazon.com.)
Susan Chan is an active master class teacher, presenter and adjudicator. She has conducted master classes and performed in universities and schools of music on four continents. Such institutions include Westminster Choir College, Oberlin College, University of Washington, University of Victoria, University of Cambridge, Karol Szymanowski School of Music in Warsaw, University of Sydney, Shanghai Conservatory, and Nihon University in Tokyo. She has lectured and performed at the European Piano Teachers Association’s 2009 World Piano Conference as well as conferences of the Music Teachers National Association, Music Educators National Conference, College Music Society, and the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities. Her recent multimedia presentations, which involve slideshows of works of art, include lecture recitals “A Multimedia Performance of Selected Piano Works by Contemporary Chinese Composers Doming Lam, Alexina Louie and Tan Dun,” “A Multimedia Performance of Chopin’s Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 28: As Inspired by Alfred Cortot,” and “Morimur and Beyond: A Multimedia Performance of Bach/Busoni’s Chaconne in D Minor.” She has adjudicated in the MTNA competitions in Washington state, the Performing Arts Festival on the Eastside in Bellevue, Washington, the Vancouver Music Festival in Canada, and competitions in Hong Kong and Japan. She has also published in Women of Note Quarterly and is listed in the 2000 edition of International Who's Who in Music and Musicians' Directory.
Ms. Chan holds a Doctor of Music degree in piano from Indiana University and M.Phil. and B.A. degrees from the University of Hong Kong. She also pursued postgraduate studies at Yale University and holds the Fellowship and Licentiate Performance Diplomas from Trinity College of Music, London, UK. Her major piano teachers include György Sebök and Menahem Pressler. In fall, 2004 she joined the faculty at Portland State University as Assistant Professor of Music and Piano Area Coordinator after being with Washington State University, where she received promotion and tenure. In spring 2006, Portland State University presented her with a Civic Engagement Award in recognition of her efforts in involving piano students in community outreach projects.
Available for download as a PDF
Also available publicity photos
