Bio

Malaysian composer Chie Tsang LEE crafts a distinctive artistic voice, interweaving Asian performance practices, Western contemporary classical techniques, and East Malaysian cultural materials into detailed, performance-driven compositions grounded in interdisciplinary practice involving close collaboration with performers, extended instrumental techniques, and the integration of live electronics and visual/media components. His compositions centre on the transformative potential of energy, expressed in finely wrought soundscapes that merge Asian performance traditions, Western contemporary classical forms, and the rich cultural heritage of East Malaysia. His ongoing research addresses hybrid oral traditions in East Malaysia, reinterpreting them and developing new sonic, spatial, and creative directions within his compositional practice.

His formal studies in music began with a Diploma in Music at SEGi College, Kuala Lumpur, where he studied composition under Tan Chin Ho. He subsequently pursued undergraduate studies at the University of Western Australia, mentored by Professor Roger Smalley, Yitzhak Yedid, and Dr. Christopher Tonkin. He earned his Bachelor of Music in 2008, having actively participated in acclaimed international events, including the Forme Uniche della Continuita nello Spazio International Composition (Australia), Kuala Lumpur Contemporary Music Festival (Malaysia), Yogyakarta Contemporary Music Festival (Indonesia), Beethoven Club Composition Contest and Workshop (United States), and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK). n 2009, he was awarded a full scholarship by the Goethe-Institut to attend the Darmstadt International Summer Course 2010, where he studied with Brian Ferneyhough, Liza Lim, and Manos Tsangaris. In 2011, he received a full scholarship from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education to pursue advanced studies. He completed a Master of Arts by Research (with distinction) in 2012 and a PhD in music composition in 2018 at the Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM), University of Huddersfield, under the supervision of Professor Dr. Liza Lim, Professor Dr. Bryn Harrison, and Professor Dr. Aaron Cassidy

Chie Tsang has been featured as a composer at the Free Hand – 1st Malaysian Contemporary Composers Piano Festival (2019), the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music International Symposium (2017 and 2019), and the Thailand New Music and Arts Symposium (2019). His distinctions include an Honourable Mention at the China Day Music Festival at the Royal Danish Academy of Music Studio Hall (2014); finalist positions in the 10th Thailand International Composers Competition – Rapee Sagarik Composition Prize (2014), the TMC International Composition Competition in Taipei, Taiwan (2011), and the Forme uniche della continuità nello spazio competition (2010); second prize at the 2008 Beethoven Club Composition Contest in Memphis, United States; and selection as a candidate for the 2008 Sibelius Composer Awards in Sydney, Australia.

His compositions have been widely performed in diverse contexts, with commissions from the Asian Contemporary Ensemble (2012), Persatuan Chopin Malaysia – Chopin Society Malaysia (2015), UCSI University (2020), the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore (2023), and the Malaysian Composers Collective (MCC). These collaborations have resulted in works such as Tōng – 通 (2012), To Light, and Then Return for solo piano (2020), Qilin for orchestra (2023), and Komburongo for percussion trio (2017). His music has been presented at the SoundBridge Festival (2017, 2021), the UCSI University International Piano Festival and Competition (2021), solo concerts such as Peter Veale’s oboe recital (2015), Jalur Kita, Cerita Kita (2022), and the Southeast Asian Golden Age Symphony premiere at Performers (‘) Present 2023. His work has also appeared within the ASEAN Youth Ensemble (AYE) project, an initiative of the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music (PGVIM).

His collaboration with the Society of Malaysian Contemporary Composers (SMCC) has produced works including [Re]sketch[es] No.3 – “Nunuk Ragang” (2017). The world premiere of his wind quintet Long Calling from the Gardeners, commissioned by MCC, took place at Jalur Kita, Cerita Kita at KLPac on 26 November 2022. His career includes collaborations with performers and ensembles such as Jean Penny, Peter Veale, Adam Bowles, Dirk Amrein, Jürg Henneberger, Bridget Carey, Chong Kee Xin Anna, Timothy O’Dwyer, Ensemble Mosaik, Studio Musikfabrik, Discord Workshop, Sirius Quartet, Ensemble Offspring, Atlas Ensemble, Quatuor Bozzini, and the Asian Contemporary Ensemble.

He has been invited as a presenter and speaker at Syntopia: International Symposium on Media Arts and Design and has served as Chief Editor of the Gendang Alam Journal. He was also awarded Chiang Mai University’s International Research Fellowship (Visiting Researcher) and appointed Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts (2024–2025). He is Artistic Director of Borneo Ensemble, a Senior Lecturer at the Academy of Arts and Creative Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, and a member of the Society of Malaysian Contemporary Composers (SMCC).