Hailed by critics as among “the next wave of Chinese composers”, Kawai Shiu has received recognition from the Vienna Modern Masters’ Orchestral Recording Award, the Rudolf Nissim Award, Kent Kennan Scholarships, the SCI/ASCAP Student Composition Commission Award, and funding from the American Music Center. Recent major commissions include those from the South Bank Centre (U.K.), the Cheltenham Festival (U.K.), Around Sound Art Festival (Hong Kong), Future of Imagination 7 (Singapore), and Sir Harrison Birtwistle through the Kawai Shiu Music Composition Fund at the University of Alabama.
Other past commissions and performances include those for the International Clarinet Course (Spain), Dartington Festival (U.K.), the World Saxophone Congress (Canada), the Pacific Contemporary Music Festival (U.S.), In Midair (H.K.), Esplanade’s Spectrum (Singapore), and the Alabama Wind Ensemble. His large-scale work has been performed by the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, Huxford Symphony Orchestra, Chicago 20th Century Music Ensemble, Endymion, CUBE, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, and his own ensemble. Kawai records for CRI, Vienna Modern Masters, Ablaze Records, Soundpocket, and Soy Sauce Records. His published work includes poetry, drama, and writings on music and art criticism along with his contribution to several instrumental method books. Being a finalist of the 56th Grammy Awards in multiple categories, his latest CD for loss was named one of the Top Ten Classical Albums in 2013 by Philadelphia City Paper and in Fanfare’s annual Want List.
Kawai has served as the Music Director for Sir Peter Hall at the British Royal National Theatre while appearing with Sir Harrison Birtwistle in presenting lectures at Lucerne Festival, London Hayward Gallery, and British Royal Academy of Arts. He has been an Honorary Visiting Professor of Music at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music and Research Fellow at the Paul Sacher Stiftung.
Dr Shiu has presented a retrospective concert at The Arts Center during his U.S. lecture and masterclass tour. He has been selected for inclusion in International Who’s Who in Music and Musicians’ Directory and Who’s Who in Hong Kong.
Kawai has taught at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore and University of Florida. He has given lectures, master classes, and workshops at Rice University, University of Cincinnati, University of Texas at Brownsville, University of Houston, Mahidol University, and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. He has served as Artistic Adviser in Hong Kong New Music Ensemble and Soundpocket, and has recently joined the Board of Directors of the Birmingham Chamber Music Society.