photo by: Robert Torres Photography
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"Perhaps the conundrum is this – why does the most unnatural of singing voices sound so natural? Years of intense and strenuous training have brought Chan to the point where his voice sounds remarkably pure and his vocal delivery looks completely effortless." (The Straits Times, Singapore)
Wei En Chan is a countertenor from Singapore whose singing is lauded for its “time-stopping” beauty and technical finesse. He leads an active career in Asia and North America performing lead roles in the works of Bach and Handel. Highlights include the title role in Handel’s Oreste with the Singapore International Festival of Arts, conducted by Tian Hui Ng, alto solos in Bach’s B minor mass & St. Matthew Passion with Bachfest Malaysia, conducted by Dr. David Chin, Ruggiero in Handel’s Alcina with The Opera People, led by Red Dot Baroque’s Alan Choo, solos in Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Mass with the Cecilia Chorus of NY, conducted by Mark Shapiro, and Orlofsky in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, with the Singapore Lyric Opera, conducted by Joshua Tan. Wei En also interpreted the role of Ircano in Chatham Baroque & Quantum Theatre's ambitious modern revival of Broschi's Idaspe, conducted by Daniel Nesta Curtis, to much acclaim. Wei En is no stranger to contemporary works, commissioning and premiering Jonathan Shin’s Singaporean song set, The Other Merlion & Friends, and giving the Boston premieres of Stephan Weisman’s The Scarlet Ibis as Doodle, Ligeti’s virtuosic Nouvelle Aventures, conducted by Efstratios Minakakis, workshopped Pulitzer Prize winner, Cerise Jacob’s videogame opera, Permadeath, and premiered the countertenor solo in Lukáš Janata’s oratorio, “But Love is Stronger,” with Cantori New York, conducted by Mark Shapiro. Wei En has garnered a myriad of awards at numerous international competitions. Most recently as the 3rd Prize winner of the “2023 Respighi Prize (Music)” organized by the Chamber Orchestra of New York. He was also nominated for “Best Solo Performer – Vocal” at the 17th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards in Malaysia. Wei En was a founding member of Boston-based choral group, Carduus, directed by Holly Druckman. Other organizations he has performed with include ATCECM (Toronto), American Bach Soloists Academy, Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, Canto Armonico, Cambridge Chamber Ensemble, Capella Clausura, First Lutheran Church of Boston, Gotham Early Music Society’s Open Gates program, Henry Purcell Society of Boston, Hong Kong Bach Festival, Lirica Arts, M.I.T Concert Choir, Music at the Farm (R.I.), Mostly Modern Festival, Parish of All Saints (Ashmont), Publick Musick, Revels Inc. (Cambridge), Resonance of Singapore, Rhode Island Civic Chorale & Orchestra, Singapore Lyric Opera, St. Paul Choir School (Harvard Square), St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (Cambridge), Trinity Lutheran Church (Worcester), and many others. Wei En’s musical journey runs parallel to his work as an arts leader. Wei En is the co-chair of Early Music America’s IDEA Task Force, developing feasible DEI strategies for implementation at EMA. From 2021-2024, Wei En was also an active council member of EMA’s “Emerging Professional Leadership Council”, specifically on the IDEA Task Force, and the Awards & Scholarships committee, working with EMA staff and Board of Directors to encourage the development of programming and resources for emerging artists and professionals in the field of early music. Wei En has served as a grant evaluator and competition judge for The National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists’ National Arts Competition, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s Creative Sector Flex Fund, EMA’s Annual Awards and Workshop Scholarships programs, Erie Arts & Culture’s Lydia McCain Artist Fellowship, MAP Fund’s MAP Grants, and Mid-America Arts Alliance’s Artists 360 Practicing/Student Artist Grants. He was also on staff with the New England Conservatory of Music’s Entrepreneurial Musicianship Department, assisting with their grant program and specializing in consulting on singer careers. He was also the founder and Artistic Director of Camerata Nova Anglia’s recital series devoted to exploring the stories of POC singers. His work with CNA had been recognized with grants from The Iguana Music Fund, Cambridge Arts, and an artist/scholar residency with the Sunlit Residency. His work in Singapore has also been recognized by the National Arts Council of Singapore through their generous 2020 Digital Presentation Grant for the Arts (DPG) Scheme. Wei En made his professional debut as music director and conductor at Allegheny College’s 2024 production of Head Over Heels the musical, and returned as music director for their 2024 production A Year with Frog and Toad the musical. Wei En is on faculty at Allegheny College teaching classical vocal performance, arts entrepreneurship, and music theatre performance. He earned his M.M. in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory, studying with Dr. Ian Howell, and his B.M. from Ithaca College, studying with Professor Carol McAmis. Wei En started his vocal training with eminent Singaporean musicians such as Toh Ban Sheng and Tay Cheng-Jim. Wei En's love for music began with community choirs in Singapore. He was a member of the Hallelujah Oratorio Society and sang with the Amoris Singers. Follow Wei En on facebook@ChanWeiEnCountertenor and Instagram@weiencountertenor |
Reviews
"Some of the evening's best moments were offered by countertenor Chan Wei En with two of the orchestra's solo instrumentalists... There were simply no dull moments" (The Straits Times, Singapore)
"在下半场的演出中值得一题的是假声男高音曾伟恩分别与小号和古长笛之间的互动。曾伟恩空灵的高音在音乐厅上空回旋，其与巴洛克传统乐器对话应答式的交流给听众带来不少惊喜。" (联合早报 LianHeZaoBao, Singapore)
"...the role of Prince Orlofsky, usually played by a mezzo-soprano, was instead sung convincingly by countertenor Chan Wei En." (The Straits Times, Singapore)
"Reliably vivid in recitatives, he voiced his aria in Act One, ‘Nel periglio dell’amico,’ engagingly, articulating fiorature cleanly and covering the full range of the music with minimal forcing at the extremities. His singing of the Largo aria ‘Trà l’affanno, e trà il periglio’ in Act Two communicated the character’s state of mind without dramatic excess, Chan allowing the music to speak directly to the listener. Making much of each of Ircano’s moments on stage, Chan lent the character distinctive musical and dramatic identities." (Voix des Arts)
"Wei En Chan, the countertenor singing the role of Ircano, gave a fine display of his prize-winning voice, and acted the part with enthusiastic animation." (onStage Pittsburgh)
"...Wei En Chan displayed physicality and charisma in his aria about bravery and loyalty." (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
"Delicious countertenor floridities from the gilded Cupid of countertenor Wei En Chan included a facile and appealing trill. His arrows always told." (The Boston Musical Intelligencer)
"...Chan performing coloratura arias so naturally that the trills, flourishes and melodic leaps seem entirely their own invention."
(The Straits Times, Singapore)
"...both Cherie and Wei En are skilled singers, making full use of their opportunity given in this opera to show off their vocal range, hitting impossibly high notes with deceptive ease while putting all their emotion into their voice, their anxiety, fears and joys coming through strongly as they repeated verse after verse."
(Bakchormeeboy, Singapore)
"Perhaps the conundrum is this – why does the most unnatural of singing voices sound so natural? Years of intense and strenuous training have brought Chan to the point where his voice sounds remarkably pure and his vocal delivery looks completely effortless." (The Straits Times, Singapore)
"在下半场的演出中值得一题的是假声男高音曾伟恩分别与小号和古长笛之间的互动。曾伟恩空灵的高音在音乐厅上空回旋，其与巴洛克传统乐器对话应答式的交流给听众带来不少惊喜。" (联合早报 LianHeZaoBao, Singapore)
"...the role of Prince Orlofsky, usually played by a mezzo-soprano, was instead sung convincingly by countertenor Chan Wei En." (The Straits Times, Singapore)
"Reliably vivid in recitatives, he voiced his aria in Act One, ‘Nel periglio dell’amico,’ engagingly, articulating fiorature cleanly and covering the full range of the music with minimal forcing at the extremities. His singing of the Largo aria ‘Trà l’affanno, e trà il periglio’ in Act Two communicated the character’s state of mind without dramatic excess, Chan allowing the music to speak directly to the listener. Making much of each of Ircano’s moments on stage, Chan lent the character distinctive musical and dramatic identities." (Voix des Arts)
"Wei En Chan, the countertenor singing the role of Ircano, gave a fine display of his prize-winning voice, and acted the part with enthusiastic animation." (onStage Pittsburgh)
"...Wei En Chan displayed physicality and charisma in his aria about bravery and loyalty." (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
"Delicious countertenor floridities from the gilded Cupid of countertenor Wei En Chan included a facile and appealing trill. His arrows always told." (The Boston Musical Intelligencer)
"...Chan performing coloratura arias so naturally that the trills, flourishes and melodic leaps seem entirely their own invention."
(The Straits Times, Singapore)
"...both Cherie and Wei En are skilled singers, making full use of their opportunity given in this opera to show off their vocal range, hitting impossibly high notes with deceptive ease while putting all their emotion into their voice, their anxiety, fears and joys coming through strongly as they repeated verse after verse."
(Bakchormeeboy, Singapore)
"Perhaps the conundrum is this – why does the most unnatural of singing voices sound so natural? Years of intense and strenuous training have brought Chan to the point where his voice sounds remarkably pure and his vocal delivery looks completely effortless." (The Straits Times, Singapore)