Cheung Chau

Faculty Member

Cheung Chau

Biography

Cheung Chau is Director of Orchestral studies at Utah Valley University and Music Director of the Utah Valley Youth Symphony in Orem, Utah. He is Music Director of Sinfonietta Polonia in Poznań, Poland, and is serving as the Resident Conductor of the Changsha Symphony in Hunan, China, for his UVU sabbatical leave for 2021 – 2022. He served as Music Director of the Bloomington Symphony in Minnesota, the Central Pennsylvania Symphony and the Manchester Symphony in Connecticut, as principal guest conductor of the Lublin Philharmonic Orchestra in Lublin, Poland, and held director of orchestra positions at the Haverford College and the University of Connecticut.
As guest conductor, Chau conducted the Moscow Symphony in Russia, the Nordhausen Philharmonic in Germany, the Filharmonica Marchigiana in Italy, the Gavle Symphony in Sweden, the Vassa Symphony in Finland, the Williamsport Symphony, the Charlottesville Symphony, the Ballet West Orchestra, the Utah Valley Symphony, and the Utah Chamber Orchestra in the United States, the Białystok Philharmonic, the Kielce Philharmonic, the Lublin Philharmonic, the Sudecka Philharmonic, and the Olsztyn Philharmonic in Poland.
In China, he led the China National Symphony, the Tianjin Philharmonic, the Wuhan Philharmonic, and the Xiamen Philharmonic. He was named permanent guest conductor of the Inner Mongolia Orchestra in 2007. Invited by Edo de Waart, Chau served as assistant conductor to the Hong Kong Philharmonic, conducting the orchestra in projects including the 2007 live world broadcast opening ceremony of the 10th anniversary celebration of Hong Kong’s Handover, with Chinese President Hu Jintao in attendance.
As ballet conductor Chau conducted productions of Giselle and Nutcracker with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and the Ballet West at the Harrisburg Whitaker Center and the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City. He is a regular guest conductor at the Grand Opera and Ballet Theater in Poznań, Poland, where he conducted the world premiere of Alice in Wonderland in 2014. Chau also led the world premiere performance of Snow Queen in March of 2016 at the Grand Theater in Poznań. Since then, Chau led Alice in Wonderland and Snow Queen regularly in Poznań and at the prestigious Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz, Poland. In 2017, the world premiere recording of Snow Queen with leading Polish label Acte Prealable was awarded a Global Music Awards Silver Medal.
An American Prize finalist in Conducting and a conducting fellow at the American Academy of Conducing in Aspen, Chau conducted concerts in venues including at the Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg, Beijing Concert Hall, Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, and the Adam Mickiewicz University Concert Hall in Poznań, Poland.
Chau received the first double doctorate from the New England Conservatory in wind ensemble conducting and cello performance. He studied orchestral conducting with Jorma Panula at the Royal Conservatory of Sweden. Chau is a National Arts Associate in conducting with Sigma Alpha Iota in the USA.
“Cheung Chau led an impressive symphony concert in Sondershausen…and showed a powerful rendition of his skill…A musical firework unfolded before the audience, between the sinking softness and the euphoric feeling of youth. This interpretation made the greatness of the work (Schubert “Great” Symphony) understood instantly.”
Ronald Urlig, Thueringer Allgemeine, Erfurt, Germany
“The tableaux (in Lithuanian Rhapsody by Karlowicz) are doubtlessly difficult to interpret, as they are emotionally dense, complex. However, the orchestra under Chau’s baton painted them in dark hues so very desirable in the first tableau, brightening the color spectrum accordingly in the subsequent episodes—in the subtle Andante tranquillo, dance-like Allegretto giocoso, all until the return of the initial nostalgia. One found great satisfaction and pleasure in listening to the “Lithuanian Rhapsody” precisely thanks to Chau’s consistent construction and progression of moods, apt graduation of emotions and logical narration.”
Dorota Gonet, Gazeta.Wyborcza, Lublin, Poland

Teaching

MUSC 3150

Advanced Instrumental Conducting, Spring 2024

MUSC 450R

Advanced Private Lessons for Music Majors, Spring 2024

MUSC 372R

Chamber Orchestra, Spring 2024

MUSC 251R

Performance Class, Spring 2024

MUSC 451R

Performance Class, Spring 2024

MUSC 250R

Private Lessons for Music Majors, Spring 2024

MUSC 245R

Private Lessons II, Spring 2024

MUSC 370R

Symphony Orchestra, Spring 2024

Presentations

Chau, Cheung , Masterclass at International Musicians Academy and in China , "Array", International Musicians Academy, Bulgaria. ()
Chau, Cheung , Mentoring young musicians in Poland , "Array", Poland . ()
Chau, Cheung , International Musicians Academy, "Masterclasses", International Musicians Academy, Bulgaria. (July, 2023)
Chau, Cheung , Presentations at Changsha Salon Club, "Presentations", Changsha Salon Club, Changsha Concert Hall. (July 3, 2022)
Chau, Cheung , Guest Lecturer, "Masterclass", Wuhan Conservatory , Wuhan, China . (November 29, 2021)

Scholarly/Creative Works

Chau, Cheung , (2022) "Array" . Changsha: Banyan Music .
Chau, Cheung , (2017) "Snow Queen" (Issue: AP0398). Warsaw: Acte Préalable. https://acteprealable.com/catalogues/composers/ap0398/
Chau, Cheung , (2016) "World Premiere Recording_ Gabriel Kaczmarek “Mzsa 1050”. " (Issue: AP0364). Warsaw: Acte Préalable. https://acteprealable.com/catalogues/composers/ap0364/
Chau, Cheung , (2015) "Alice in Wonderland" . Poznan: Sckola Baletowa Anny Niedzwiedz.

Awards

3rd Place Winner in Professional Orchestra Conductor Category

American Prize

American Prize Winner, Professional Orchestra Category
In August of 2023 I was awarded the 3rd place winner as conductor in the professional orchestra category of the American Prize, a national competition that accepts entries from and is recognized over the world.

Previous winners in the professional orchestra category of the American Prize include_ Piotr Gajewski—music director of the National Philharmonic, Lawrence Golan—music director of the Colorado Philharmonic, Steven Lipsett—music director of the Boston Classical Orchestra, Markand Thakar—music director of Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and professor of conducting at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Marius Smolij—guest conductor of the Houston and New Jersey Symphonies, and Shizuo Kuwahara—first prize winner of the George Solti International Conducting Competition and principal guest conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.

It is a prestigious honor to be in the company of highly accomplished and distinguished musicians across the world.

Resident Conductor and currently Principal Guest Conductor

Changsha Symphony

Served as Resident Conductor during 2022 - 2023 sabbatical, and currently serving as Principal Guest Conductor of Changsha Symphony

Gel grant

Faculty Research

Emily Wargren received a "UVU Performance" grant to go abroad to perform with Sinfonietta Polonia.

Finalist

American Prize

I was Finalist as conductor in the American Prize International Competition in 2017 and 2018

Semi Finalist

American Prize

The UVU Symphony was chosen as a semi-finalist in the 2018 American Prize, competing against other institutions including the San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra.

Teacher of the Year

Utah ASTA Higher Education

I was awarded Teacher of the Year by ASTA in 2018