Bio

Su Lian Tan is a much sought after flutist, composer, and educator. Inspired by tonalities, timbres, and themes of her Malaysian Chinese heritage, her music has been described as “the stunner of the evening,” (Washington Post) and “…refined, cultured compositions… Rewarding for everyone..a must own” (Fanfare). “Lotus Lives démontre que Montréal prend sa place dans la modernité de l’art lyrique. (Lotus Lives demonstrates that Montreal takes its place in the modernity of opera)” (Frederic Cardin, CBC Radio Canada). “Wonderfully dramatic music….a spike of energy recalls the trio in Beethoven’s second Razumovsky” (Gramophone). Making her first recordings at the age of 14, she has recently been featured in Flute Talk and American Record Guide. Tan has been commissioned by groups such as the Grammy-winning Takacs String Quartet, Da Capo Chamber Players, and the Vermont Symphony. Recordings of her music include a recent release, Grand Theft and other Felonies, which features Carol Wincenc performing Autumn Lute Song and Tan as a flutist. Another recent release Music by Su Lian Tan also on the ARSIS label, contains Jamaica’s Songs, written in collaboration with author Jamaica Kincaid. Her intermedia chamber opera Lotus Lives was performed to great acclaim in the last two seasons, as were Revelations, dedicated to Sophie Shao cellist, and Ming, composed for Joe Burgstaller, the premier performance occurring in Singapore. New commissions include Legends of Kintamani a concerto for Darrett Adkins, cellist, and Concerto for piccolo and orchestra for Nicola Mazzanti. A current recording project features the Jupiter String Quartet and Bruce Brubaker. Her music is published by ECS Publishing and Theodore Presser.

Also a dedicated teacher, Tan is Professor of Music at Middlebury College where she continues to be a mentor to talented young musicians. She has given seminars and master-classes at Oberlin College, Boston University, and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore, to name a few. She has received numerous accolades and citations for teaching as well as for her music, including awards from ASCAP, The Academy of Arts and Letters of Quebec, and the Toulmin and Naumburg Foundations and was awarded several residencies from the Yaddo and MacDowell colonies. She holds degrees from the Trinity College, London (F.T.C.L.),Bennington College (B.A.), The Juilliard School (M.M.) and Princeton University (Ph.D.).