Alan Kwan (Chinese: 關家傑), is a Hong Kong jazz guitarist, composer and producer.[1][2][3]

Kwan released his solo debut album, Petrichor, in 2019, received three Golden Melody Awards[4] nominations for Best Instrumental Album, Best Instrumental Album Producer, and Best Composer (Instrumental Category).

Under Kwan's leadership, the band Invisible Architecture, which debuted in 2021 with the album Between Now and Never, won the 33rd Golden Melody Awards[5] for Best Instrumental Album Producer and three other nominations.

Alan Kwan is a Hong Kong-born jazz guitarist and composer. He began learning guitar at the age of 14 and later studied jazz at the University of North Texas under mentors Fred Hamilton and Stefan Karlsson, where he received scholarships from the College of Music and the Kris Kolflat Jazz Guitar Scholarship .

After graduating, Kwan pursued a master's degree in jazz studies at Queens College, City University of New York. During his time in New York, he was active in the local jazz scene, debuting solo album "Petrichor" in 2019[6]. The album featured collaborations with musicians such as Dayna Stephens, Fabian Almazan, Linda May Oh, and Johnathan Blake, and was nominated for Best Instrumental Album, Best Album Producer, and Best Composer at the 31st Golden Melody Awards.

In 2018, Kwan returned to Hong Kong and began performing at various jazz festivals in Asia, including the Taipei Jazz Festival, Taichung Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival (Hangzhou), The French May Arts Festival in Hong Kong, West Kowloon Jazz Festival, and the Hong Kong International Jazz Guitar Festival. He has collaborated with renowned musicians such as Billy Childs, Ulf Wakenius, Orlando Le Fleming, Reuben James, Kazmia Watanabe, Ruifeng Huang, Lisa Ono, Tetsuo Sakurai, and Masaki Hayashi.

In 2021, Kwan formed the band Invisible Architecture with his college friends, Matt Young and Jordan Gheen. The band's debut album "Between Now and Never” blends electronic music, soundscapes, and modern jazz[7], and was recognised with a Best Album Producer award at the 33rd Golden Melody Awards, in addition to nominations for Best Instrumental Album, Best Composer, and Best Instrumental Album Recording. The album was also nominated for the Asian Music Creation Award at the Golden Indie Music Awards.

Since 2023, Kwan has been serving as a visiting lecturer at the Musicians Institute in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to his own musical activities, he has also collaborated with other artists as a music producer, arranger, and composer for various projects, including animations, visual arts, theater productions, and films.

References

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  1. ^ "Bio". Alan Kwan. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  2. ^ "關家傑 | art-mate.net". www.art-mate.net (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  3. ^ "關家傑 Alan Kwan". 麥丁文化事業有限公司 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  4. ^ gma.tavis.tw https://gma.tavis.tw/. Retrieved 2024-06-18. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ TTV. "THE 33rd Golden Melody Awards - Nomination". gma.tavis.tw. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  6. ^ "Album of the Day: Alan Kwan, "Petrichor" - JAZZIZ Magazine". 2022-02-13. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  7. ^ "Album of the Day: Invisible Architecture, "Between Now and Never" - JAZZIZ Magazine". 2022-02-13. Retrieved 2024-06-21.