Chan Ka Nin

Who is Chan Ka Nin?

Chan Ka Nin is a Canadian composer and music educator of Chinese descent. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1971. He has been commissioned to write works for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the CBC Radio Orchestra, the Esprit Orchestra, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, New Music Concerts, the Quebec Contemporary Music Society, and Symphony Nova Scotia among many others. He has also been awarded funds to compose works by the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario's Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, and the Toronto Arts Council. He has won two Juno Awards for Best Classical Composition.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Chan immigrated with his family to Canada in 1965 at the age of 15. The family settled in Vancouver and after completion of high school, Chan entered the University of British Columbia where he studied music composition with Jean Coulthard while pursuing degrees in both music and electrical engineering. He graduated from the UBC in 1976 and proceeded to enter the graduate composition program at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University where he was a pupil of Bernhard Heiden. He earned both a Master of Music and a Doctor of Music from the school. In 1982 he pursued further studies in music composition at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse in Darmstadt, Germany.