Ian Chen is a Taiwanese-Canadian composer currently based in Los Angeles. His recent composing titles include Taiwanese period drama Trade War (2024) and Netflix series Futmalls (2020). Ian's work has earned him the Best Score Award at the 18th Independent Music Awards and a finalist spot for the Music of the Year award at the 2020 Game Audio Networks Guild Awards. He also collaborates as an additional writer and orchestrator for prominent composers such as The Newton Brothers and Amanda Jones; select projects include Emperor of Ocean Park (2024) on MGM+ and Five Nights At Freddy’s (2023) on Apple TV+. Ian's works can be heard on major streaming platforms like Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon TV, as well as on leading TV networks across Asia, including Youku, Formosa TV, and Sanlih TV.
Ian studied classical and modern orchestral composition at Cornell University under the late Prof. Steven Stucky, and furthered his education at NYU Steinhardt’s film music graduate program. His musical signature combines electronics, classical orchestration, and contemporary sampling techniques. Proficient across a diverse range of musical instruments from various cultural backgrounds, Ian's emphasis on texture and color enables him to craft unique soundscapes tailored to each project, whether for solo endeavors or the grandeur of the silver screen.
Beyond the realm of film, Ian is a versatile artist involved in live theatre composition and serves as a prolific orchestra conductor and performer. In 2009, he founded the first traditional Chinese music ensemble in upstate New York. His expertise garnered recognition, leading to an invitation in 2012 by the New Jersey Buddha’s Light Youth Chinese Orchestra to arrange and conduct music for their 10th-anniversary concert. In 2013, a collaboration with contemporary dancers Dai Jian and Elena Demyanenko from the renowned Trisha Brown Dance Company resulted in the creation of the acclaimed theatrical piece Blue Room commissioned by New York Live Arts and praised by The New York Times.
