A Wagnerian superhero on the conductor’s podium. Come and meet Elim Chan

Elim Chan’s precision and unwavering zeal have made her one of the most sought-after conductors of our time. A native of Hong Kong, she has enthralled the music community and made the world’s finest orchestras welcome her with enthusiasm.

Elim Chan studied at Smith College in Massachusetts and at the University of Michigan. The year 2014 proved to be the major turning point in her career as she became the first female winner of the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition. This helped her open the door to the London Symphony Orchestra where she served as Assistant Conductor and worked closely with the legendary Valery Gergiev. She also owes much of her experience to Bernard Haitink’s masterclasses and the fellowship program of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Conducting major orchestras

Her distinct talent has soon brought her to conduct prominent European ensembles. She held the post of Principal Conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra for five years while also serving as Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. In 2024, she made her debut at the First Night of the BBC Proms in London, returning in 2025 to conduct the Proms’ festive Last Night.

A modern-day superhero

When you look at Elim Chan at the conductor’s podium, it is clear that she is an extraordinary woman. Critics abound with praise. A reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle wrote after her performance:

‍“Chan projects a degree of physical authority from the podium that is rare to witness. All she has to do is raise her arms and the orchestra responds with torrents of finely shaped sounds, as if she were some kind of Wagnerian superhero bending the sonic environment to her will.”

Step into her music world at the Dvořák Prague Festival 

Elim Chan will showcase her mastery of conducting at the eagerly awaited Closing Concert of the Festival on Wednesday 23 September, 2026 at 8 pm at Prague’s Rudolfinum. She will conduct the Czech Philharmonic. Together with the Festival audience’s favourite, violinist Gil Shaham, they will perform Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2. The 19th edition of the Dvořák Prague Festival will draw to a festive close with works by Bohuslav Martinů, Antonín Dvořák and the magnificent suite from Igor Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird.