Long Bio

Australian Composer, Zinia Chan’s diverse and immersive work captures the connections between the natural environment and humans through recorded sounds, music notations, and paintings.

Renowned for her cutting-edge, community-minded approach, Chan’s extensive work in theatre, film and contemporary music has garnered her opportunities to work with the likes of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra National Camp, The Song Company, Gondwana Chorale, Ensemble Françaix, the Commonwealth Games Federation, Mohworks Films, the Grainger Museum, and Science Gallery Melbourne. Her trademark ability to view art-making from multiple perspectives fortifies not only her compositional work, but her position as an in-demand arts manager, pianist and community educator with organisations such as DeepBlue, the Brisbane-based ensemble fusing orchestral and electronic repertoire with multilateral visual projections and choreography. In 2013, she joined DeepBlue as their resident pianist and in 2016, welcomed the ensemble's invitation to join as a committee member on the Board.

Her work across collaborative arts has significantly informed her compositional practice and she is often found exploring the use of colour and imagery in music. She draws influences from nature, human psychology, and enjoys taking a more diverse approach to her compositions. An essential part of her creative process is notably the initial stage of solidifying the music, sounds and colours she hears and sees in her mind through painting. This is particularly prominent in her earlier works through the use of interactive visuals and the exploration of sensory deprivation. At present, she uses visuals and art as a compositional tool to further explore and extrapolate her inner world.

Zinia Chan’s pivotal, multidisciplinary approach to her craft continues to attract the interest of organisations dedicated to supporting young and emerging Australian artists. Zinia Chan is a Finalist of the APRA AMCOS and Australian Music Centre’s 2023 Arts Music Awards, a recipient of The University of Melbourne’s 2023 Catherine Mary Sullivan Scholarship in Music Composition, the 2020 Melbourne Recital Centre (MRC) and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (MCM) Composition Award, facilitating a commission for award-winning chamber ensemble, Syzygy Ensemble performed during MRC’s 2022 Awaken season. Chan was also awarded the 2020 Australian Music Centre MOMENTUM II Commission (funded by Cinque Artist Management), a recipient of full bursary to Gondwana Composer School (as part of the Gondwana National Choral School 2018) and in 2016 received the Sonic State Queensland Microfestival Commission (supported by Chris Perren, Luke Jaaniste, Metro Arts). She is the grateful recipient of COVID recovery funding from City of Melbourne (Oceanis Collective Commission, 2020).

One of the strongest driving factors behind Zinia’s innovative practice is her passion for collaboration. She enjoys taking on complex creative challenges, and arrives in 2023 primed and ready for turning far-reaching artistic concepts into reality. 

Zinia Chan is currently a Master of Music (Research) composition student at The University of Melbourne (Melbourne Conservatorium of Music) under the supervision of Melody Eötvös and Elliott Gyger, and a 2022 cohort member of the Global Leaders Institute for Arts Innovation. She holds a Bachelor of Music with Distinction (Performance and Music and Sound Production) from Queensland University of Technology, studied conducting with Mark Shiell, composition studies with Ade Vincent, and completed her Graduate Diploma in Music (Composition) at The University of Melbourne (Melbourne Conservatorium of Music) under Dr Brenton Broadstock AM and Dr Christine McCombe.

Chan is always striving to further expand on her knowledge and ability to support diversity and accessibility in the music and arts industry.