Cary Chow
Masters Degree in Piano Performance
B. of Music Degree in Piano Performance
Pianist Cary Chow has performed concerts in North America, Europe, and China. The breadth of his repertoire extends from J.S. Bach to Franz Liszt to George Crumb and beyond. At age 11, he first performed a concerto with orchestra in a program including John Ogden; at 16, he made his New York debut at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in a special series inaugurated by Andre Watts. Since that time, he has been a soloist with various orchestras in concerti ranging from Bach through Rachmaninov. He has collaborated with many renowned instrumentalists such as Shauna Rolston, Mosche Hammer, Jonathan Cohler, and Mark Nuccio. As a member of contemporary music ensembles, he has performed and premiered many recent works by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Gilles Tremblay, and Derek Bermel.
Cary Chow has studied with Winifred Scott Wood, Rena Sharon, and Robin Wood at the Victoria School of Music and with renowned pedagogue Christopher Elton and the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. He holds graduate degrees and diplomas in Piano Performance. Until 2006, he has taught at the University of Victoria and the Victoria Conservatory of Music; from 2004-06, he was Collaborative Artist in Residence at the Morningside Music Bridge program in Calgary. He has also appeared on several occasions as the Guest Professor at Conservatories in Beijing and Guangzhou, China.
Cary has 2 commercially available solo CDs: the first, Rachmaninov’s Piano Sonata #1 and Variations on a Theme of Corelli; the second, and independent release entitled ‘Zirkus’ features Schumann’s Carnaval and Kreisleriana. He has also recorded for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for both radio and television.
Cary currently plays in a French horn/ piano duet with David Cooper, Principal Horn of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, with whom he released a CD in 2012 featuring works by Madsen, Hindemith, Dukas, and Bozza. They are currently recording a second CD. He also appears as a guest musician with Avant Chamber Ballet, a company devoted to reuniting original choreography, live music, and unique repertoire.
Cary especially loves to start beginners on their musical journey, and tailors his approach to their age, personality, and intended goals. With young children, he utilizes fun rhythmic games, marching, clapping, perhaps imaginary drums, and little singing challenges, anything that will engage and hold their focus.
For adults, he tends to adopt a somewhat more analytical approach, akin to an engineer showing someone how a piece of machinery functions. He is a firm believer that the early stages of musical education are establishing good habits, focus, discipline, and creating little, step-by-step, attainable goals. With some fundamental skills in place, the student is enabled to progress and fully enjoy their musical experience.
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