Biography
A native of Malaysia, Chan
Kiat Lim received his music certifications in piano, violin, and theory from
the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and the Trinity
College of Music, London. Awarded the College of Creative Arts Performance Grant
from West Virginia University, Lim came to the U.S.A. in 1995 to study with Dr.
James Miltenberger. He received his Master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees
from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music as a
scholarship student of Eugene and Elisabeth Pridonoff. Lim has worked with
world-renowned artists and pedagogues such as Dorothy Delay, Masao Kawasaki,
Peter Oundjian, and James Tocco.
Grounded in the curriculum of the British ABRSM and
receiving his conservatory training in the United States, Lim's particular performance
expertise and teaching approach evolved from the fusion of these diverse
musical worlds. Winner of several competitions including the WVMTA Young Artist
Competition, WGUC Radio Audition, and Music Festival of Lucca Audition in
Italy, Lim maintains an active performance schedule. He has been acclaimed for
his solo recitals in Italy, Romania, Asia, and throughout the United States. In
addition, he has graced such venues as Steinway Hall in New York City, the National
Press Club in Washington, D.C., and has performed as guest soloist with several
orchestras. His future engagements include recitals at the Northern California
School of Music, Morehead State University (Morehead, KY), and UCSI University
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).
Having worked with major collaborative artists, Lim is
equally successful as a chamber recitalist. He is well-versed in both the
instrumental and vocal repertoire and was engaged by the World Piano
Competition as a collaborative pianist. In 2005, Lim began collaboration with bass-baritone
Shawn Roy, forming the Lim-Roy Duo. Since their inception, the Duo has made
three national tours.
Unique in his programming as a performer, Lim is an
enthusiastic interpreter of new music. He specializes in Twentieth-century and Contemporary
repertoire, particularly by American composers. This interest and specialty have
resulted in invitations for presentations and masterclasses at regional and
national levels. In 2009, Lim won the Louisiana Division of the Arts Career
Advancement Award, which allowed him to release a compact disc under the Centaur
Records label entitled An American Kaleidoscope: Song Cycles Through the
Lenses of William Bolcom, John Duke, Thomas Pasatieri, and Ned Rorem. This CD on which he collaborated
with bass-baritone Roy, features two world-premiere recordings of
works by musical giants Bolcom and Rorem.
Lim’s
creative output is large and diverse. His voice is not only heard as a solo and
collaborative pianist, but also as a pedagogical author. His publication eNovativePiano: Multimedia Tools for
Developing Musicianship Skills has earned him national recognition. This
authorship in collaboration with Dr. Susanna Garcia is the first and only
multimedia curriculum available for group piano instruction and has received
positive reviews from the national music community.
Awarded the Margaret Chauvin Steen Villemez
Professorship in Music (2010), Lim is presently an Associate Professor at the
University of Louisiana at Lafayette where he teaches applied piano, piano
literature, graduate pedagogy, and class piano. That he also lectures in the
Interdisciplinary Humanities program speaks of his broader research interest.
His exceptional teaching skills are reflected in his students who have captured
top prizes and awards at regional, national, and international piano
competitions.
Lim will be showcased in the March/April edition of Senses of Malaysia, an award-winning
bimonthly magazine that features successful Malaysians whose talents and
contributions have earned them a place in their respective fields.
