Elim Chan

Conductor

One of the most sought-after artists of her generation, conductor Elim Chan embodies the spirit of contemporary orchestral leadership with her crystalline precision and expressive zeal.

She served as Principal Conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra between 2019 and 2024 and Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra between 2018 and 2023.

Having conducted the First Night of the Proms with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 2024, Chan returned to the series in 2025 to conduct the renowned Last Night of the Proms. Summer 2025 also saw her reunite with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and The Cleveland Orchestra, as well as tour with the Concertgebouworkest Young and make her debut at the Musikfest Berlin with the Staatskapelle Berlin.

Highlights in the 2025/26 season include return engagements with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester, Staatskapelle Dresden, Luxembourg Philharmonic, and Orchestre de Paris. She also makes her subscription debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra and debuts with the Münchner Philharmoniker, Orchester der Oper Zürich, Bamberger Symphoniker, and Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.

Female conductor in white shirt, focused, holding a baton with her arm extended — Elim Chan conducts the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl in "Scheherazade" on July 9, 2024.

Previous debuts include those with orchestras such as the San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Wiener Symphoniker, and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.

Born in Hong Kong, Elim Chan studied at Smith College in Massachusetts and at the University of Michigan. In 2014, she became the first female winner of the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition and went on to spend her 2015/16 season as Assistant Conductor at the London Symphony Orchestra, where she worked closely with Valery Gergiev. In the following season, Chan joined the Dudamel Fellowship program of the LA Phil. She also owes much to the support and encouragement of Bernard Haitink, whose master classes she attended in Lucerne in 2015.