Andre Chan
Biography
An aspiring musicologist and conductor, Andre studied Music and Philosophy at Columbia University, where he also served as Artistic Director of the Columbia Bach Society. His current research concerns the music of Hans Gál, a Viennese-Jewish (and later British émigré) composer whose successful career in pre-WWII Germany was upended by anti-Semitic violence under Nazism. At Oxford, Andre wishes to help Gál’s music regain currency through research and performance, and fight also for the legacies of other censored and later-forgotten composers. In masterclasses, Andre has studied under conductors such as Jorma Panula, Larry Rachleff, and Yip Wing-sie, and conducted orchestras like the MÁV Symphony (Budapest), Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and the Lviv National Philharmonic. As a conductor, he hopes to become a soundboard for silenced voices worldwide, and inspire audiences not only with the beauty of classical music, but with the stories to be found therein.