CHAN Hing-yan received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, majoring in composition and minoring in ethnomusicology. His compositions, lauded for their subtle mediation between Chinese elements and Western idioms, have been heard around the world at festivals such as Canberra International Music Festival (2017), Hong Kong Week in Tapei (2014, 2016), Second Spring of the Chinese Symphony, Beijing (2010), Edinburgh Festival (2009), Chinese Musicians Residency, Cornell (2009), Hommage a Bartók, Budapest (2006), International Gaudeamus Music Week, Amsterdam (2003), Melbourne Festival (2002), and Singapore Arts Festival (2002 & 2006).​ Recent works include, commissioned by Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Ethereal Is the Moon – for huqin and orchestra (2016, for Taiwan tour) and ’Twas the Thawing Wind – for sheng and orchestra (2012, for North American tour); Double Happiness – a gastronomic suite premiered at the Festival Finale of the 2017 Canberra International Music Festival; commissioned by Hong Kong Arts Festival, Hong Kong Odyssey (2017, as Music Director and composer) and two three-act chamber operas Datong – the Chinese Utopia (2015) and Heart of Coral – after the life of Xiao Hong (2013); and Hark the Phoenix Solitaire Cry – for sheng and orchestra (2016) premiered by Orchestra UniMi in Milan. For Heart of Coral and ’Twas the Thawing Wind, Chan received the “Best Artist Award (Music)” at Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2013. His three collaborations with City Contemporary Dance Company – The Conqueror (2005), Warrior Lanling (2007) and Dao Extraordinaire (2009) – have 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.