Charlie Chan sitting on the floor playing a grand piano, wearing a dark blue leather jacket and glasses, with a black background.

Charlie Chan

Charlie Chan (they/them) is an award-winning AI inventor, creative-technologist, keynote speaker, composer and pianist, with a career spanning four decades and underscored by a lifelong commitment to innovation, advocacy and creative practice.

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Innovation

In addition to their mastery of myriad musical instruments, Charlie Chan is a true digital innovator when it comes to integrating technology with the Arts, combining deep musical talent with technological innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and dynamic energy in all their projects.

Early on, Charlie recognised the potential of digital technology to both produce and promote music, influencing not just their own work but also that of others.

Charlie thrives at the nexus of technology and creativity; they’re a true believer in the critical role artists and creatives can play in qualifying, testing, exploiting and advancing innovations. In a tech-driven world, Charlie champions the importance of creative thinkers to extend the limits of technology and critique its effects.

Over the past nine years, Charlie has been developing their own AI - named Ch.AI - and t it to compose music just like they do.

Charlie's pioneering projects have global impact

  • Museum of Sydney outside

    Symphony of The Dreaming | Vivid

    Symphony of the Dreaming is a live music and light experience on the forecourt of the Museum of Sydney that explores the Aboriginal concept of Country and its relationship to light, rhythm, sound, energy and place. It is now showing at VIVID 25.

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  • Night view of Sydney Harbour Bridge illuminated with colorful lights, reflecting on water with starry sky above.

    Concert for the Planet | Earth Hour

    During Earth Hour 2015, the Global Orchestra, with backing from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, hosted the Concert for the Planet, featuring simultaneous performances of Holst’s The Planets across the world. A live stream of chief conductor David Robertson from the Sydney Opera House stage was broadcast worldwide, with even an orchestra at NASA joining in.

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  • Musician sitting at a desk surrounded by musical instruments including a grand piano, digital piano, synthesizer, and MIDI controller, with a band practicing in the background on a stage with purple lighting.

    Supernova | World Recording Breaking Concert

    On Friday, June 23rd 2023, on the HOTA outdoor stage on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Charlie took their place at the piano and embarked on a marathon endurance performance. This historic event saw Charlie performing for over 26 hours to set the world record for the longest improvised piano concert ever.

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  • Baxter the robot with a cartoonish smiling face on its screen, sitting with arms resting on its lap in a colourful, purple-lit environment, possibly at a tech event or conference.

    The Interactive Orchestra | Baxter The Robot

    At the Sydney Opera House, Charlie Chan and the Global Orchestra collaborated with Accenture to create a part-human, part-AI orchestra. In a world-first, Baxter the robot performed on marimba alongside a 40-piece jazz ensemble.

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  • Text overlay on a starry night sky promoting Charli XCX's 'Constellation' album, featuring 52 solo piano albums available every Friday for 52 weeks on streaming platforms.

    Constellation | 52 Solo Piano Albums in 52 Weeks

    The world's largest collection of solo piano works, Constellation was launched by Charlie Chan on January 20th, 2023 - the eve of the Lunar New Year. This groundbreaking release schedule featured 52 albums over 52 weeks.

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    United Nations Performance

    In November 2019 Charlie performed at the United Nations General Assembly in New York for the UNICEF Summit on World Children’s Day, marking the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Joined by the PS22 Chorus, a 60-strong children’s choir from Staten Island, Charlie performed their original song We The Children, commissioned for Damon Gameau’s climate change documentary, 2040.

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  • NASA Sigma Series Keynote

    NASA Sigma Series Keynote

    The Concert for the Planet featured a special collaboration with NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. NASA staff and symphonic musicians from the region joined forces to participate at NASA HQ. Additionally, Charlie Chan was invited to deliver a keynote address as part of Langley Research Centre’s Colloquium and Sigma Lectures.

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  • Screenshot of Martian Music website homepage featuring music albums, genres, top tracks, and a shopping basket.

    Martian Music

    In the early 2000s, Charlie transformed their record label, Martian Music, into a thriving independent online music service. Pioneering digital downloads and music e-commerce in Australia, Martian became a highly successful platform for both local and international artists.

    Enquire
  • Charlie Chan with glasses laughing and sitting barefoot on the floor, playing a grand piano. A black and white Australian Shepherd dog is standing on its hind legs with front paws on the piano, against a plain black background.

    Museful Live | Music & Meditation

    Charlie Chan hosted weekly live-streamed piano & meditation sessions during COVID lockdowns. Each Thursday evening, they offered improvised solo piano and guided meditation to provide connection, calm, and musical inspiration.

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  • "Charlie Chan is a refreshing change. They compose and improvise with fluency and simplicity… the wide appeal of their music is attested to by the amount of work they're commissioned to write and perform."

    Soundscapes Magazine

  • “Defies all boundaries, shatters musical categories and constantly takes the listener by surprise. Intelligent, sensuous music for the open minded.”

    Sydney Morning Herald

  • “A harmonic meeting of classical music and high-tech soundscapes… ambient yet energetic.”

    The Sunday Telegraph

  • “Organic origins of song, interaction of musicians, and cultural exploration create… a fresh and beautiful collection of music.”

    Wild Swans Drum Media review

  • “To witness a Gamelan orchestra in full swing accompanied by drums and saxophone was an exhilarating experience. Chan’s music is truly universal.”

    Benjamin Chen, Malaysian Times

  • “As well as being known for their forays into sampling and electronica, this cutting edge pianist and songwriter has a strong association with multimedia (and) the internet.”

    Cal Clugston, Revolver magazine

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