orchestra committee

Music Director : Chew Hee Chiat

Chew Hee Chiat has been the Music Director of Professional Cultural Center Orchestra (PCCO) of Malaysia since 1996 and also is currently the Assistant Conductor of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra.Equipped with solid knowledge of various folk instruments as early as he was in secondary school, Chew received lessons on Chinese and Western harmony from Su Zhaoxiong of Malaysia and renowned composer Qian Zhaoxi of China. Chew received higher education in the United States in the 1990s. As a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University with a double bachelor’s degree in cello performance and computer science, he carried on his study in the University of South Carolina under the tutelage of Dr Donald Portnoy, and graduated with Master of Music in orchestral conducting in 1996. In 1999, Chew has conducted joint orchestra concerts in Singapore and Hong Kong and both concerts were highly acclaimed. In July 2000, Chew collaborated with maestro Yan Huichang, one of the most sought-after conductors in the world in two sold-out concerts in Istana Budaya (National Theatre). Both Chew and Yan held a conducting master class in Malaysia where many young and promising Chinese orchestra conductors participated. In April and June 2002, Chew was invited as guest conductor of HKCO’s concerts 'Cook up Some Music’ and' Music from the Heart II - Join up with the World’ respectively. Once after he joined the HKCO in June the same year, he conducted the concert Bamboo Tunes and has been actively participating both regular and ensemble concerts through arrangement, orchestration as well as assisting conducting concerts. In March 2004, he guest conducted the Singapore Chinese Orchestra's concert 'A Nanyang Musical Voyage II’ which turned to be a great success. Chew is also an active composer. His compositions are greatly influenced by his Southeast Asian cultural heritage. This style has reflected on his original works, which include Orchestra Suite No.1, Orchestra Suite No.2 that won him the second runner-up prize of the International Competition for Chinese Orchestral Composition 2000 organized by HKCO, The Third which won him the Outstanding Composition Award in Chinese Music Competition 2002 organized by the Council for Cultural Affairs in Taiwan, Fantasy Dance (premiere in Hong Kong), Dizi and Small Orchestra Tradition? (premiere in Singapore), The Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra and also his arrangements of Ulek Mayang (Malay Folk Song), Bizet/ Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy (for dizi and orchestra) and Western Movie Theme Suite.