Elim Chan

Hong Kong conductor (born 1986)
Elim Chan
Chinese: 陳以琳
Born (1986-11-18) 18 November 1986 (age 37)
Hong Kong
OccupationConductor
Years active2014–present

Elim Chan (Chinese: 陳以琳; born 18 November 1986) is a Hong Kong-born conductor.

Biography

Chan was born in Hong Kong.[1] As a youth, she played cello and piano and sang in choirs.[2][3] Chan attended the Good Hope School (Form One). Chan was a sixth-form student at Li Po Chun United World College in Hong Kong.

Chan began studies at Smith College in the US with the initial intent of becoming a medical doctor. Following an initial experience in conducting during her second year of college,[4] she changed her path of study and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 2009.[5] Chan moved to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for graduate studies in music. At Michigan, her teachers included Kenneth Kiesler. She was music director of the University of Michigan Campus Symphony Orchestra, and of the Michigan Pops Orchestra (2012-2013). She earned her MM degree in orchestra conducting from Michigan in 2011, and her Doctor of Musical Arts in 2015.[2]

In December 2014, at age 28, Chan won the Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition, the first female conductor to win the competition in its history.[6][7][8][1] As part of winning the competition, she was subsequently named assistant conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, for a one-year contract from 2015–2016.[9] She has also participated in master classes in conducting with Bernard Haitink.

In April 2016, NorrlandsOperan announced the appointment of Chan as its next chief conductor, effective in 2017, with an initial contract of 3 years.[10] In April 2018, Chan announced her intention to stand down as chief conductor of NorrlandsOperan after one season as its chief conductor.[11]

In January 2017, she made her first guest-conducting appearance with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO). She returned as guest conductor with the RSNO a fortnight later as an emergency substitute for Neeme Järvi.[12] Based on these appearances, in June 2017, the RSNO appointed Chan as its next principal guest conductor, effective 2018.[13] Chan concluded her tenure as principal guest conductor of the RSNO in March 2023.[14]

In November 2017, Chan first guest-conducted the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra. She returned as guest conductor in Antwerp in March 2018. Based on these appearances, in May 2018, the orchestra announced the appointment of Chan as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season.[15] Chan is both the first female conductor, and the youngest conductor, ever to be named chief conductor of the orchestra. She concluded her tenure as chief conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra at the close of the 2023-2024 season, one season earlier than her previously announced contract extension.[16]

Chan is married to the Dutch percussionist Dominique Vleeshouwers, who was awarded the Dutch Music Prize (Nederlandse Muziekprijs) in 2020. [17]

Chan has participated in BBC Proms in 2019, 2023 and 2024 respectively. She conducted her first "First night of the Proms" in 2024, together with BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and BBC Singers. [18][19]

References

  1. ^ a b Chou, Oliver (January 2, 2015). "Conductor Elim Chan achieves dream of working with Ferrari orchestra". scmp.com. Retrieved January 12, 2019. Birth year of 1986 is based on age 28 in Dec 2014.
  2. ^ a b Tanya Madhani (2015-01-06). "Rackham student wins elite music competition". Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  3. ^ Toby Deller (2016-05-04). "Meet the Maestro: Elim Chan". Classical Music Magazine. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  4. ^ Javier C. Hernández (2024-03-05). "She Boxes. She Conducts. She Delights in Defying Stereotypes". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  5. ^ Erin Peterson (2017-03-16). "'Something Changed in Me'". Smith College Alumnae News. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  6. ^ Imogen Tilden (2014-12-09). "Elim Chan wins 2014 Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  7. ^ Michael White (2014-12-10). "In a Battle of the Batons, a Barely Visible Alchemy: Elim Chan's Flick Conducting Prize Is Rare Win for a Woman". New York Times. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  8. ^ "U-M student wins 2014 Donatella Flick LSO conducting competition" (Press release). University of Michigan. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  9. ^ Oliver Chou (2005-01-02). "Conductor Elim Chan achieves dream of working with a 'Ferrari' orchestra". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  10. ^ "NorrlandsOperan appoints Elim Chan as chief conductor" (Press release). NorrlandsOperan. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  11. ^ "Norrlandsoperans chefsdirigent slutar". SVT Nyheter. 2018-04-06. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  12. ^ Susan Nickalls (2017-02-21). "Music review: The RSNO & Elim Chan". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
  13. ^ "RSNO Principal Guest Conductor appointment" (Press release). Royal Scottish National Orchestra. 20 June 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-02-10. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
  14. ^ "RSNO bid farewell to Principal Guest Conductor Elim Chan" (Press release). Royal Scottish National Orchestra. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  15. ^ "Antwerp Symphony Orchestra stelt Elim Chan aan als chef-dirigent" (Press release). Antwerp Symphony Orchestra. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  16. ^ "Chef-dirigent Elim Chan zwaait af bij Antwerp Symphony Orchestra". NPO Radio 4. 2023-06-19. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  17. ^ "Slagwerker Dominique Vleeshouwers is een virtuoos, bewees hij in Utrecht". De Volkskrant. 19 January 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  18. ^ "Proms star Elim Chan: 'Being who you are is powerful. Not all orchestras can take it'". 4 July 2024. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
  19. ^ The detail of First Night of the Proms 2024 from Royal Albert Hall
  • Official homepage of Elim Chan
  • Classic Concerts Management agency German-language page on Elim Chan
  • Classic Concerts Management agency English-language page on Elim Chan
  • Davis United World College Scholars Program, page on Elim Chan
  • Shadrach Kabango, Elim Chan on how conductors conjure musical magic. Q, CBC Radio, 22 December 2014
  • Yip's Children's Choral & Performing Arts Centre, Oliver Chou, 'Hong Kong conductor Elim Chan urges city to nurture musical talent'. 1 January 2015
Cultural offices
Preceded by Chief Conductor, NorrlandsOperan
2017–2018 		Succeeded by
Eduardo Strausser
Preceded by Chief Conductor, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
2019–2024 		Succeeded by
(post vacant)
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