Amelia Chan

violinist

Amelia Chan is currently concertmaster of the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong (CCOHK).

She came to this position from her tenure as concertmaster of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra (US). An experienced leader, Amelia has served in the concertmaster chair under acclaimed conductors such as Sir Neville Marriner, Michael Tilson Thomas, Manfred Huss, Sergiu Commissiona, Anton Coppola, Zdeněk Mácal, Jorge Mester, Julius Rudel, and Gerard Schwarz. She has also performed with the New York Philharmonic extensively. As a chamber musician, Amelia has served as first violinist of the Montclaire String Quartet, and has collaborated with guitarist Sharon Isbin, accordionist Richard Galliano, violinist Lara St. John, the Ying Quartet, members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players (NYC), among others. She has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the West Virginia Symphony, the International Virtuosi Orchestra on tour in Central America, the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra (NYC), the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra (NYC), and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. She has shared the stage as co-soloist with acclaimed flutist Sir James Galway, and frequently acts as director for the City Chamber Orchestra. She has performed at the Costa Rica Music Festival, the Guatemala Music Festival, Cooperstown Chamber Music Festival in New York and the Pacific Music Festival (Japan).

Amelia has been heard on WQXR, New York; WQED, Pittsburgh; West Virginia Public Broadcasting; BBC Radio Scotland, Scotland; and RTHK Radio 4, Hong Kong.

As an educator, Amelia approaches the teaching of technique through the lens of whole-body biomechanics, and on the principle that techniques of playing an instrument need to be relational to the body, and to how it moves, instead of relying on a static one-size-fits-all method. She believes in a focused and deep education that goes beyond rote training, where the student learns discernment and critical thinking, while sifting through the layers of intellect needed to decipher the depths of the musical art, to get to the natural, joyful simplicity of music-making.

Amelia holds undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees from the Mannes College of Music and Manhattan School of Music (NY). She began her violin studies in the junior school at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Her major teachers included Thomas Wang, Alice Waten, Albert Markov, Shirley Givens, Lisa Kim, Yoko Takebe, Sheryl Staples, Glenn Dicterow, and double-bassist Julius Levine.

For more information on Amelia, please go to her Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/ameliachanviolin/ 

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"Concertmaster Amelia Chan in particular played with passion, acting as the vibrant soul of the ensemble.” South China Morning Post 

“…gutsy solo violin throughout [by] concertmaster Amelia Chan…” theprickle.org

Bow Control: The Mechanics of Left-Side Counterbalance

December 13, 2025  /  Amelia Chan

Playing the violin requires the two sides of the body to work together asymmetrically. Developing a strong sense of this cross-body dynamic often resolves persistent technical issues.

These exercises reveal technical gaps for players at every level. They highlight a fundamental truth: bow arm agility relies on left-side body opposition. Whether you are a beginner mastering retakes or a professional refining your spiccato, this cross-body connection is essential.

As always, once you understand the objective of these movements, feel free to modify them to suit your specific needs.

1. The Woodchopper

• Setup: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Clasp your hands together.

• Movement: Reach your hands high to the right (imagine you are holding the bow high at the frog).

• Action: "Chop" down diagonally toward your left hip/knee.

• Focus: Notice how your left inner thigh and abdominals must brace to stop the momentum at the bottom.

• The Principle: That specific bracing sensation is the anchor you need to maintain while playing.

2. The "Waiter's Bow" with a Twist

• Setup: Stand on your left leg only (use a wall for balance if needed).

• Movement: Hinge forward slightly at the hips. Reach your right hand down toward your left foot.

• Focus: Feel the deep twist and diagonal connection running from your left inner thigh, across your stomach, to your right shoulder.

• Application: Try playing in this stance while pointing your bow toward your left foot.

• The Principle: This posture exaggerates the cross-body connection required for powerful playing.

3. The Wall Press

• Setup: Stand with your left hip pushing a yoga block, lengthwise across the front and back of your body, into a low cabinet (not a wall, so your bow doesn’t hit it).

• Action: As you play, gently press your left hip into the wall using your left leg muscles. Allow hip to rotate on the block as you move across different strings. (Tip: try playing a spiccato passage while doing this.)

• The Principle: This provides a tactile reference point, teaching your nervous system to have a strong anchor to rotate around.

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