A native of Malaysia, Chan Kiat Lim received his music certifications in piano, violin, and theory from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and the Trinity College of Music, London. Awarded the College of Creative Arts Performance Grant from West Virginia University, Lim came to the U.S.A. in 1995 to study with Dr. James Miltenberger. He received his Master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music as a scholarship student of Eugene and Elisabeth Pridonoff. Lim has worked with world-renowned artists and pedagogues such as Dorothy Delay, Masao Kawasaki, Peter Oundjian, and James Tocco.

   Grounded in the curriculum of the British ABRSM and receiving his conservatory training in the United States, Lim’s particular performance expertise and teaching approach evolved from the fusion of these diverse musical worlds. Winner of several competitions including the WVMTA Young Artist Competition, WGUC Radio Audition, and Music Festival of Lucca Audition in Italy, Lim maintains an active performance schedule. He has been acclaimed for his solo recitals in Italy, Romania, Asia, and throughout the United States. In addition, he has graced such venues as Steinway Hall in New York City, the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and has performed as guest soloist with several orchestras. His future engagements include recitals at the Northern California School of Music, Morehead State University (Morehead, KY), and UCSI University (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).

   Having worked with major collaborative artists, Lim is equally successful as a chamber recitalist. He is well-versed in both the instrumental and vocal repertoire and was engaged by the World Piano Competition as a collaborative pianist. In 2005, Lim began collaboration with bass-baritone Shawn Roy, forming the Lim-Roy Duo. Since their inception, the Duo has made three national tours.

   Unique in his programming as a performer, Lim is an enthusiastic interpreter of new music. He specializes in Twentieth-century and Contemporary repertoire, particularly by American composers. This interest and specialty have resulted in invitations for presentations and masterclasses at regional and national levels. In 2009, Lim won the Louisiana Division of the Arts Career Advancement Award, which allowed him to release a compact disc under the Centaur Records label entitled An American Kaleidoscope: Song Cycles Through the Lenses of William Bolcom, John Duke, Thomas Pasatieri, and Ned Rorem. This CD on which he collaborated with bass-baritone Roy, features two world-premiere recordings of works by musical giants Bolcom and Rorem.

   Lim’s creative output is large and diverse. His voice is not only heard as a solo and collaborative pianist, but also as a pedagogical author. His publication eNovativePiano: Multimedia Tools for Developing Musicianship Skills has earned him national recognition. This authorship in collaboration with Dr. Susanna Garcia is the first and only multimedia curriculum available for group piano instruction and has received positive reviews from the national music community.

   Awarded the Margaret Chauvin Steen Villemez Professorship in Music (2010), Lim is presently an Associate Professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where he teaches applied piano, piano literature, graduate pedagogy, and class piano. That he also lectures in the Interdisciplinary Humanities program speaks of his broader research interest. His exceptional teaching skills are reflected in his students who have captured top prizes and awards at regional, national, and international piano competitions.

   Lim will be showcased in the March/April edition of Senses of Malaysia, an award-winning bimonthly magazine that features successful Malaysians whose talents and contributions have earned them a place in their respective fields.\