Andrew Chan

Applauded by the National Post as “a rare charisma”, Canadian harpist Andrew Chan has performed across Canada, USA, and in Asia as a solo, orchestral and chamber musician.

Chan teaches at the Harps on the Hill School in Markham, a specialized harp school that is populated by students widely range from age 3 to retirees. He also teaches at his private studio in Toronto.

A school of an international population of harp students since 2012, Harps on the Hill has hosted masterclasses by faculty members from world-renowned music institutions including Juilliard, Eastman, Yale, Peabody, Glen Gould School, and other international harpists. Students of all ages are attracted from far and close all around Ontario. Visiting students have come from across Canada, Australia, China, England, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Spain and USA.

Since 2000, countless of Chan's students have been winners of various awards, scholarships and auditions. Many of his students were inspired to pursue the harp professionally. Acceptances with extensive scholarship packages (through competitive auditions) have been offered to his students by prestigious university programs, including the Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, Colburn School, Indiana University, McGill, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Peabody Institute of Music, Temple University, University of Toronto, University of British Columbia and others. Other acceptance offers to his students have come from the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (through national audition), Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Orchestral Institute (through international audition) and the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra (through provincial audition).

Numerous of his students from age 3 have been awarded Honours with Distinction and Gold medals by the Royal Conservatory of Music Examination for every available Level (Grade 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, ARCT); including students who completed the Grade 10 level by or before the age of 11. For over 10 years, his students have been consistent audition winners for the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra, and others.

Three of his Youth Students were recognized by these orchestras to have been featured as concerto soloists; four of his Adult Students succeeded in their personal goals to become Certified Music Practitioner to provide therapeutic music for the bedside, hospices and hospitals. Many others have been active freelancing around Ontario. Recently, one of his junior students won 2nd Prize in New York’s Little Mozarts International Music Competition (eligible to all junior instrumentalists worldwide from Age 3) .

Triptych, a collection of Chan’s original compositions, has been published and sold worldwide by Lyon & Healy Publications (Chicago). His “The Orchestral Harpist Volume 1 & 2” offer practical solutions to a wide selection of orchestral excerpts. His “Bach Revisited” features his modified versions of 12 classic Bach transcriptions for better play-ability. Chan's other publications include “Mendelssohn on Harp” featuring his transcriptions, and “Technique Builders for Harp” that offers insight to develop solid harp-playing technique.

Inspired by the isolation during Christmas 2020, his creation and virtual-performances with 3 of his students, “Bells of the Winter Moon” for harp quartet, received significant attention on social media; its music has since been published by Lyon & Healy (Chicago)

Harp teachers, schools and organizations have sought Chan’s advice on teaching and developing their own harp studios; these have come from around Ontario, Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia, cities of Shanghai, Shenzhen and Harbin in China, and others. Striving to strengthen the local community through music, Chan has organized harp workshops in different communities and schools around Ontario since 2005, educating the public of all ages and from all walks of life about the harp.

Chan is grateful for his training during his student years with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific, and the National Academy Orchestra of Canada. He was a recipient of scholarship from the Canada Arts Council.

He credits his inspiration from his teachers, they include his early studies with the legendary Alice Chalifoux (Principal Harp, Cleveland Symphony Orchestra) in multiple summers at the prestigious Salzedo School (Maine, USA); and world-renowned solo harpist Catherine Michel (Principal Harp, Orchestre National de I’Opéra de Paris) in Paris, France.

As an orchestral musician, Chan performed successfully for nine seasons under the baton of the late Kerry Stratton, who repeatedly featured him as a soloist performing concertos by Debussy (2014, 2018), Handel (2013, 2018), Ravel (2014), and Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto (2017 tour).

Chan currently performs as Principal Harp with the National Broadcasting Orchestra, and also has performed with the Brantford Symphony Orchestra since 2008. The highlights of his solo appearances with them include the Harp Concerto by Vancouver composer Michael Conway Baker. He also presented the same work in Vancouver with the composer's presence in 2022.

Enthusiastic to expand the harp's repertoire, Chan works with composers closely, premiering and advocating new Canadian works. He was invited to present Canadian music in front of an international audience in Hong Kong, premiering "Three Dances for Ocyrrhoe" by Constantine Caravassilis. Also written for Chan, Caravassilis’ Illuminatum for Two Harps and Men's Chorus was premiered in 2012 at the Harps on the Hill Festival with harpist Erica Goodman.

Chan performs on the "Salvi Signature" harp, a one-of-a-kind model made of 23-karat gold and precious Ziricote wood. It was the last masterpiece left behind by the late renowned Victor Salvi of Italy after 60 years of harp-making. His collection of harps includes a rare, historical, and well-preserved Erard, built in Paris for the Belgium International Expo in 1905.

Chan resides in Toronto and during the pandemic, he continued to share his passion in harp pedagogy with students around and beyond Canada on virtual platforms.

Visit:
www.AndrewHarp.ca