Conductor Elim Chan

The most renowned orchestras are coveting the young Chinese conductor – Elim Chan will make her debut in the opening concert at Beethovenfest Bonn 2024. We asked her about her view of Beethoven.

Beethoven has long been a hero for me. I wholeheartedly admire his struggle as an artist to keep persevering to make his art available, despite his deafness. He enforced such an overwhelming sense of self, of will, of empowerment, of destiny and of freedom in his musical process, bringing on a revolution and a standard in music that left those who came after him stunned and not sure how to continue – from Brahms to Wagner. I think that we as artists and citizens of our world today all need to be more ›Beethovenian‹ than ever, to shake the chains, to pound our fists and to think critically about what’s happening around us.

Watch Elim Chan in action – a glimpse into her Beethoven interpretation

I love performing this symphony and it’s been part of my repertoire for a very long time. I really connect with the passion, the power and the emotion in the music and always try to convey to the musicians my own deep feelings about the work. It’s a composition with which many in the audience will already be familiar as well as there being people there hearing it for the first time, so it’s very important to me that the orchestra and I as a team deliver to everyone listening a fresh sense of the urgency and fervour that Beethoven must have felt so deeply as he composed this commanding symphony. I like it when musicians perform this piece not as a ›museum piece‹, where we have to revere all of the traditions that went before but rather to think how Beethoven felt and for them to reflect on what would they do and how would they play when feeling furious, full of rage and impatient with all the confusion and darkness all around. We have to play this as an impassioned plea for hope, joy and triumph. Every note needs to be alive and full of meaning from the moment that it’s unleashed.

I will remain focused on the music, as always and on ensuring that the orchestra is settled and comfortable after the venue change and ready for the music-making ahead! It’s certainly a very exciting prospect and not something that happens often!

I think I would have to say that the podium itself is my home. Regardless of where I am in the world, once I step onto the podium, I am in my element and fully connected!

I can only speak from my own personal experience, of course as everyone is different, whether male or female and I also cannot speak for all other women conductors. But I do firmly believe that you can’t be what you can’t see and therefore I am happy to be on the podium and aware of what a privilege it is to be there, not only as a woman but also as someone of Asian heritage. I hope that by being visible to other people, others may be inspired to consider a career in conducting through having seen my work. I remain exceedingly grateful to the trailblazing women who went before and am also always mindful to strive to improve equity, access and diversity through my work.