Darrel Chan has completed his Bachelor (Honours) in Piano Performance,

Master and Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Choral Conducting at the Royal

Birmingham Conservatoire, UK, having studied with Philip Martin and David

Quigley (piano), Paul Spicer (conducting) and Julian Pike (vocal).

Darrel has worked with established choirs such as the Birmingham Bach Choir,

Ex Cathedra and Junior Guildhall Chamber Choir, London. During his studies at

the conservatoire, Darrel has been awarded the Guy Woolfenden Prize on

behalf of the Denne Gilkes Memorial Fund, a prize for young conducting

students in 2017, and the Michael Beech Conducting Award, an award for

distinction in conducting in 2018. Darrel was also awarded the Conductor’s

Prize in the 7th Vietnam International Choir Competition, held in Hoi An in

2023.

Darrel was the chorus master for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s Official

Royal Opening Gala Concert in March 2018, and he also conducted the

“Venite” from Byrd’s The Great Service in a concert with the Birmingham Bach

Choir, as a conducting scholar the same year.

In the years 2013 to 2016, Darrel has participated as a choir member, pianist

(four hands piano) and choral conductor for “Bar 4”, a choir based in the UK

that holds concerts to raise funds for charity. He was also conductor of the

Aston University Choir for six years.

Darrel is also an active collaborative pianist and vocal coach, working

extensively with singers and instrumentalists in the UK and Malaysia. He was

the harpsichordist for Ensemble Sonora, a Baroque chamber group based in

Birmingham. In 2018, Darrel won the accompanist prize of the “Stuart

Cameron Smith American Song Prize” and was also assistant conductor/

répétiteur/harpsichordist for the conservatoire’s production of Monteverdi’s

Madrigals of War and Love.

As a countertenor, Darrel has performed with the Royal Birmingham

Conservatoire Chamber Choir as well as the Birmingham Bach Choir. He has

also performed the alto solo role in Mozart’s Requiem and Vivaldi’s Gloria RV

588 in Malaysia.

Darrel is currently teaching at the Young Choral Academy and Bentley Music

Academy, while still active as a performing musician.