Ivan Chan, violin

Ivan Chan was born in Hong Kong, where he received his early training with Thomas Wang. He made his debut with the Hong Kong Philharmonic at the age of 13. Shortly thereafter, he continued his studies in the United States with Jascha Brodsky, David Cerone, Felix Galimir and Jaime Laredo at the Curtis Institute of Music, and with Miriam Fried at Indiana University.

Winner of the Julius Stulberg Auditions in 1985, Radio Television Hong Kong Young String Player of the Year award in 1985, Ima Hogg Young Artists Auditions in 1990, Bronze Medalist of the Indianapolis International Violin Competition in 1990 and Second Prize as well as Audience Prize winner at the Washington International Competition in 1991, Mr. Chan has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Detroit Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, New World Symphony, Houston Symphony and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. As a chamber musician, he toured regularly with "Musicians from Marlboro" and has collaborated with artists such as Jaime Laredo, Gil Shaham, Joshua Bell, Ida Kavafian, Pamela Frank, Garrick Ohlsson, Jeremy Denk, Cho-Liang Lin, Robert Chen and with members from ensembles including the Guarneri String Quartet, Orion String Quartet, Emerson String Quartet, Johannes String Quartet, Kalichstien-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Beaux Art Trio, Opus 1, TASHI and Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society.

As a visiting artist, Mr. Chan has given masterclasses, individual lessons and chamber music coachings at the Curtis Institute of Music, Settlement Music School, Temple University, Cleveland Institute of Music, University of Missouri in Kansas, Western Michigan University and Encore School for Strings. In 2011, he was named Senior Lecturer in String Chamber Music at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Previously, he served as artist in residence at the Hartt School, Florida International University, New World School of the Arts and the Hugh Glauser School of Music at Kent State University. In 2008, Mr. Chan was appointed Chairman of the String Division at the Kent/Blossom Music Festival. Mr. Chan has served on the jury panel of competitions including Julius Stulberg Auditions, Annual Concerto Competition of the New World Symphony and 1st Shing Hai National Viola Competition. He was a member of the screening committee of the 2010 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis.

From 1995 to 2011, Mr. Chan was first violinist of the acclaimed Miami String Quartet. The Cleveland Plain Dealer stated "In Ivan Chan, the group (Miami String Quartet) has a prodigious first violinist whose tonal sweetness is matched by impeccable taste, purposeful energy and an unerring sense of phrasing." With the Miami String Quartet, Mr. Chan toured extensively in North America and Europe. Regularly featured on the nation's premier chamber music series, their performances have been heard from the stages of Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, Verizon Hall, Severance Hall, Kennedy Center, among others. The Miami Quartet made numerous appearances on premier live radio programs including National Public Radio's "St. Paul Sunday Morning" and "Performance Today."

Mr. Chan and the Miami String Quartet have recorded for the BMG/Conifer, Music Heritage and CRI labels. His instrument is a Antonio Stradivarius violin dated 1723, the "Spanish."