The Story So Far…
Hong Kong-born conductor Andre Chan is pursuing a master’s in conducting at RNCM, studying with Mark Heron and Clark Rundell. Since arriving in Manchester, among other engagements, he has worked often as assistant conductor for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and BBC Philharmonic orchestras. Versatile and adept at collaborating with orchestras and singers equally, Andre recently conducted the BBC Philharmonic in nine educational concerts at schools across Greater Manchester, as well as the RNCM Chamber Choir at Wigmore Hall. He will return to the BBC Philharmonic again for a recorded studio concert in June 2026.
Other recent highlights include jumping in as cover conductor for Lee Reynolds in Chetham’s School of Music’s production of Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortileges; assisting Domingo Hindoyan and RLPO in Verdi’s Requiem; and assisting John Storgårds, Anja Bihlmaier, and BBC Philharmonic for the 2025 BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. In masterclasses, Andre has studied with Sir Mark Elder, Paavo Järvi, Jorma Panula, Nicolas Pasquet, Sian Edwards, John Storgårds, Anthony Hermus, and Ludovic Morlot, and conducted ensembles such as the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, MÁV Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Lviv National Philharmonic, and Hong Kong Sinfonietta. He is presently the principal conductor of Settle Orchestra.
Prior to RNCM, Andre completed a MSt in Music (Musicology) at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, and a BA in Music and Philosophy at Columbia, where he led Columbia Bach Society. Outside of conducting, Andre is an avid researcher on the music of Hans Gál, a Viennese-Jewish (and later British émigré) composer whose successful career in interwar Germany was upended by Nazism. Andre has presented his research at a 2023 conference of the Royal Musical Association (RMA), and is currently involved in editorial work on Gál's music.
As a performer, Andre sees it as his mission to bring persecuted or silenced composers like Gál back into the repertory, and aspires to inspire audiences with not only the beauty of classical music, but also the stories found therein.