Fred Chan is a dedicated huqin musician and has been a musician of Ding Yi Music Company since 2014.
He received both his Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts (erhu) from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where he studied under the guidance of renowned erhu performer and educator, Professor Zhao Hanyang, and pursued the banhu under musician and Associate Professor Hu Yu. He received a full scholarship from the Chinese government for his studies as well as the Beijing Foreign Student Scholarship for outstanding students.
Chan first picked up the erhu at the age of 13 from his seniors after joining the Chung Ling Chinese Orchestra in Penang, Malaysia, and was guided by teachers Lin Shunfa and Lin Shunli.
From 2009, he was meticulously guided by professors Yan Jiemin, Wang Ying, Zhou Lingyan and other tutors at the Central Conservatory of Music. That year, he won the third prize in the open category of Malaysia’s Yue Lang National Chinese Instruments Solo Competition. He took top honours at the same competition in 2013 and won first prize in the Hua Yue Zhi Yun International Erhu Competition in the professional overseas category that year.
While at the Conservatory, he staged well-received erhu solo recitals in 2015 and 2017, including his master’s graduation concert titled From Nanyang to Beijing, and performed the gaohu across China with the China Youth Chinese Orchestra.
“I first encountered Ding Yi when it was touring China,” Chan recalls. Since joining the ensemble, he has performed huqin in various concerts across China, Taiwan, and Singapore.
In January 2016, he co-founded the WAU! Ensemble, Malaysia’s first professional Chinese chamber music ensemble, and debuted three concerts in Kuala Lumpur.
