Chan Ka Nin (born 3 December 1949) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and

music educator Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do original ...

of Chinese descent. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1971. He has been commissioned to write works for the

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The orchestra gives the majority of its performances in the Jack Singer Concert Hall at Arts Commons. It is also the resident orchestra for the Calgary Opera, A ...

, the

CBC Radio Orchestra The CBC Radio Orchestra was a Canadian orchestra based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that was operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Until the early 1980s CBC had a number of orchestras located in Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Hal ...

, the

Esprit Orchestra The Esprit Orchestra is an orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that is dedicated to the performance of new orchestral works. It was established in 1983 by music director and conductor Alex Pauk, and is Canada's only full-sized orchestra d ...

, the

Manitoba Chamber Orchestra The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra (MCO) is a chamber orchestra based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It offers an annual subscription series at Westminster United Church, which regularly features Canada's leading soloists, such as James Ehnes and Meash ...

, the

National Arts Centre Orchestra The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NAC Orchestra) is a Canadian orchestra based in Ottawa, Ontario led by music director Alexander Shelley. The NAC Orchestra's primary concert venue is Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre. Since its inceptio ...

, New Music Concerts, the

Quebec Contemporary Music Society The Quebec Contemporary Music Society, or Société de musique contemporaine du Québec in French (SMCQ), is a contemporary classical-music organization based in Montreal, Quebec. It was founded in 1966 by Montreal composers and musicians, includin ...

, and

Symphony Nova Scotia Symphony Nova Scotia is a Canadian orchestra based in Halifax Regional Municipality, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Their primary recital space is at the Dalhousie Arts Centre's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. History Symphony Nova Scotia began in 19 ...

among many others. He has also been awarded funds to compose works by the

Canada Council The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal i ...

Ontario Arts Council The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) is a publicly-funded Canadian organization in the province of Ontario whose purpose is to foster the creation and production of art for the benefit of all Ontarians. Based in Toronto, OAC was founded in 1963 by On ...

, Ontario's Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, and the

Toronto Arts Council Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor ...

.Ka Nin Chan
at

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He has won two Juno Awards for Best Classical Composition. Born and raised in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

, Chan immigrated with his family to Canada in 1965 at the age of 15. The family settled in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

and after completion of high school, Chan entered the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

where he studied music composition with

Jean Coulthard Jean Coulthard, (February 10, 1908 – March 9, 2000) was a Canadian composer and music educator. She was one of a trio of women composers who dominated Western Canadian music in the twentieth century: Coulthard, Barbara Pentland, and Violet ...

while pursuing degrees in both music and

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

. He graduated from the UBC in 1976 and proceeded to enter the graduate composition program at the

Jacobs School of Music The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, is a music conservatory established in 1921. Until 2005, it was known as the Indiana University School of Music. It has more than 1,500 students, approximately half of whom ar ...

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

where he was a pupil of

Bernhard Heiden Bernhard Heiden (b. Frankfurt-am-Main, August 24, 1910; d. Bloomington, IN, April 30, 2000) was a German and American composer and music teacher, who studied under and was heavily influenced by Paul Hindemith. Bernhard Heiden, the son of Ernst ...

. He earned both a Master of Music (1978) and a

Doctor of Music The Doctor of Music degree (D.Mus., D.M., Mus.D. or occasionally Mus.Doc.) is a higher doctorate awarded on the basis of a substantial portfolio of compositions and/or scholarly publications on music. Like other higher doctorates, it is granted b ...

(1983) from the school. In 1982 he pursued further studies in music composition at the

Darmstädter Ferienkurse Darmstädter Ferienkurse ("Darmstadt Summer Course") is a regular summer event of contemporary classical music in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany. It was founded in 1946, under the name "Ferienkurse für Internationale Neue Musik Darmstadt" (Vacation Cou ...

. In 1982 Chan became a member of the music faculty at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

where he continues to teach courses in music theory and composition to this day. He is an associate of the

Canadian Music Centre The Canadian Music Centre was founded in 1959 by a group of Canadian composers who saw a need to create a repository for Canadian music. It now holds Canada's largest collection of Canadian concert music, and works to promote the music of its As ...

and a member of the

Canadian League of Composers The Canadian League of Composers is an organization formed in 1951 of Canadian composers primarily interested in raising awareness and acceptance of Canadian music. Its activities are overseen and directed by an executive, and by a National Council ...

Works

Canadian Music Centre List of Works
(Retrieved 26 April 2013) ; Opera * Ice Time (2004) * Iron Road (2001) * The Weaving Maiden (2006) ; Orchestra * A Fantastic Journey (1992) * Ecstasy (1987) * Four Seasons Suite for Orchestra, The (1994) * Flower Drum Song (1984) * Goddess of Mercy (1976) * The Land Beautiful (1988) * Memento Mori (1998) * Poetry On Ice (1995) * Railway Suite (1998) * Reflection (1984) * Revelation (1984) * Treasured Pasture Leisure Pleasure (1989) ; Soloist(s) with Orchestra * Daughter of Master Chin (1975) * Gibora (1997), a concerto for viola & orchestra * Concert Music for Four Horns (1980) * Lullaby (1993) * Pearl of Asia (1997) Co-Composer:

Alice Ho Alice Ping Yee Ho (born 1960) is a Canadian pianist and composer, considered to be "among the most important composers writing in this country". She was born in Hong Kong and earned a Bachelor of Music, BMus in composition from Indiana Universit ...

* Refuge (1998) * Rise (1994) * Railway Suite (1998) * Soulmate (2001 * Three Folksongs (1998) arrangement ; Symphonic Wind Ensemble * Ecstasy for Band (1988) * Foung (1978), for wind ensemble * Memento Mori (1998-2003) for wind ensemble * Rise (1997), for concert band ; Chamber Music * Fanfare for Dawn (2011) * Pater Noster (2010) * Hey Duke (2010) * Pachelbel Variations (2010) * The Consequential Web of Life (2010) * Celebration of Life & Death (2008) * Journeys (2009) * Ambiance (1999) * Among Friends (1989) * and the masks evoke...(2000) * Asia Pacific Fanfare (1997) * Ave Maris Stella (2002) * BA(N)FF (2003) * BA(N)FF Fanfare (2003) * Belonging (2000) * Charmer, The (1994) * Cool Mountain Water (2000) * Cosmopolitan Suite (1988) * Crystal Blue Persuasion (1996) * Disquiet, The (1990) * Ecstasy for Flutes (1987) * Éveil aux Oiseaux (2005) * Everlasting Voice (1981) * Flute Octette (1984) * Four Seasons Suite (1973) * "I Think That I Shall Never See..." (1993) * In Search of… (2004) * Joy in Tranquillity (1975) * Late In A Slow Time (2006) * Lullaby (1993) * Majestic Flair (1987) * Miao Kong (2000) * Musical Offering (1994) * Mute Muse (1984) * Mystique (1996) * Nature/Nurture (2002) * Nuage Precieux (1987) * Our Finest Hour (1999) * Phantasmagoria (1980) * Piao (2006) Fl. & perc. * Piao (2003) Fl. & pno * Piao (2003-4) Vlc. & pno * Prairie (1977) * Par-ci, par-là (1996) * Par-çi, par-là (2004) * Promenade (1992) * Reflection, for Solo Organ (1992) * Reflection, for Solo Harp (1992) * Reflection, for Solo Piano (1972) * Rhythm of Life (1995) * Rise (1994) (Version 1) * Rise (1994) (Version 2) * Rise (1994) * Salmon Quintet, The (1992) * Saxophone Quartet (1989) * Star of the Sea (1996) * Sonata for Piano (1972) * Sonatina for Two Guitars (1973–83) * Sound of Sound (2002) * Soulmate (1995) solo vln. * Soulmate (1995) solo vla. * Soulmate (1995) solo vlc. * Soulmate (1995) Solo vlc. & pno * Spring Nest (1993) * String Quartet No, 1 (1977) * String Quartet No. 2 (1981) * String Quartet No. 3 (1998) * String Quartet No. 4 (2005) * Tai Chi (1985) * Tête à tête (2007) * Three Movements for Clarinet and Piano (1978) * Three Movements for Clarinet and Percussion (1981) * Vast (1987) ; Chorus * She Who Hears the Weeping World (2008) * Ave Maris Stella (1995) * Beautiful is the East (1998) * Carla's Poems (1999) * Flower Drum Song of Feng Yang (arr. 1978) * Monastery Behind the Mountain (1981) * Pearl of Asia (1997) Co-Composer: Alice Ho * Railway Suite (1998) * Search for Plum Blossoms In Snow (arr. 1986-88) * To God of All Nations (1976) * To God of All Nations II (2006) ifferent music * Weaving Maiden, The (2006) ; Solo Voice * As I Rode To Claim My Bride (1970) * Daughter of Master Chin (1976) * A Dirge In The Woods (1975) * Farewell (1970) * Glimpses of the Moon (1994) * Lady Magnolia (1982) * Lullaby (1993) * Make Way! * On A Quiet Night (1975) * Soulmate * Waiting (1972) * Yeh-Pan Yüeh (1978)

References

External links

Official website of Chan Ka Nin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, Ka Nin 1949 births Living people 20th-century classical composers 21st-century classical composers Canadian classical composers Hong Kong emigrants to Canada Juno Award for Classical Composition of the Year winners Jacobs School of Music alumni University of British Columbia School of Music alumni Academic staff of the University of Toronto Canadian male classical composers 20th-century Canadian composers 20th-century Canadian male musicians 21st-century Canadian male musicians University of British Columbia Faculty of Applied Science alumni