ANDREW CHAN
Applauded by the National Post as “a rare charisma,” Canadian harpist Andrew Chan has performed across Canada, the USA, and Asia. He served for ten seasons as Principal Harp of Maestro Kerry Stratton's Toronto Concert Orchestra and has appeared as concerto soloist in works by Debussy, Handel, Mozart, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Rodrigo, Michael Conway Baker, and Constantine Caravassilis. He was recently Artist-in-Residence at the renowned Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.
As a teacher, 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 have been offered to his students by prestigious university programs, including the Juilliard School, Eastman School of Muisc, Cleveland Institute of Music, Colburn School, Indiana University, Peabody Conservatory, McGill, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Temple University, University of British Columbia, and others. Other offers to his students have come from the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Orchestral Institute and the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Chan is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Toronto International Harp Festival and the Toronto International Harp Competition. The annual Festival brings internationally renowned harpists to Toronto for concerts, masterclasses, and a week-long Summer Institute promoting cultural exchange and community engagement.
Andrew 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, and he credits his inspiration from his teachers. Those include Elizabeth Volpѐ Bligh (Principal Harp, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra) in Vancouver where he started the harp; with the legendary Alice Chalifoux (Principal Harp, Cleveland Symphony Orchestra) in multiple summers at the prestigious Salzedo School (Camden, Maine USA); and world-renowned solo harpist Catherine Michel (Principal Harp, Orchestre National de I’Opéra de Paris) in Paris, France.
He 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 harp collection includes two historic French harps: an Erard (1905) and a Pleyel Chromatic harp (1906).
Andrew currently resides in Toronto and enjoys collecting paintings and various artworks.
