SHORT BIO

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The music of Chen Zhangyi has been described by BBC Radio 3 as “music from a voice of the future” and “a breath of fresh air on our musical landscape” by The Straits Times.

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Chen's musical output features the representation of Singaporean (and Asian) society and culture, as seen in the chamber operas A Singapore Trilogy (Laksa Cantata, Window Shopping, and Kopi For One), the Nanyang-inflected Kampung Spirit, dementia documentary-opera Lily, and string nonet Twin Cinema. Nature is another source of inspiration in his music, for instance, in the violin concerto Vanda, orchestral works Rain Tree and Of An Ethereal Symphony, as well as the keyboard works Walks on Water, and Clima. His music may be heard on United Records, Centaur Records and Naxos Records. 

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As an educator, Chen currently serves as Associate Professor of Analysis and Composition at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory (YST). Through the module 'Text and Music', Chen has co-curated (with Dr. Sara Florian) several creative projects in collaboration with the Asian Civilisations Museum: Waves and Waves (2020), Suite Ensemble (2021), and Zoomorphic Muses (2022). As a performer, he had led the YST new music ensemble OpusNovus (2016-2018), and also plays viola with Red Dot Baroque.

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Chen read music at YST (Bmus), and Peabody Institute (MM, DMA). ​​