Past ACCFs

Professor of Music, Music Department, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Chan Wing-wah graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He was then offered a British Commonwealth Scholarship for five years to further his studies at the University of Toronto where he was awarded his Master of Music and Doctor of Music degrees in Composition.

His compositions include seven symphonies and other chamber and orchestral works. His musical style represents a modern version of traditional Chinese culture showing an enthusiasm towards life. While a student, he already won the 1st prize at the 1981 International Double Reed Society Composition Contest, USA. He went on to win the 1988 Yoshiro Irino Memorial Prize with his orchestral music, TRANSIT, which was later selected as one of the "20th Century Masterpieces by Chinese Composers" by the China Culture Promotion Society in Beijing in 1993. He was Composer of the Year in 1991 and one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of 1992. His symphonies were recorded on compact discs by HUGO Productions. Performers of his music included the Kronos Quartet, Fires of London, the Kroumata Ensemble of Sweden, as well as performing groups in Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, among others.

Professor Chan is currently Professor of Music at the Chinese University of HK. On the international front, he has served as an Executive Committee member in the UNESCO International Society for Contemporary Music and as Vice-Chairman of the Asian Composers' League. He is now honorary advisor of the China Broadcasting Folk Orchestra and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra.

Locally, he was the first Composer-in-Residence of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He had also served as Chairman of the Arts Promotion Committee of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and for ten years as Chairman of the Hong Kong Composers' Guild. He was also an appointed member of the Copyright Tribunal and the former Regional Council. He is now Chairman of the Jockey Club Music & Dance Fund, Chairman of the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong, the advisor of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Professor Chan was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Hong Kong government in 2000.