Roydon Tse

Chinese-Canadian composer Roydon Tse creates music that speaks across cultures, drawing from shared human experiences and reflecting on the challenges of climate change, the depths of grief, and the ever-evolving fabric of our world.

In the 2024/2025 season, Roydon’s works were heard internationally, with premieres by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Marin Alsop, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Atlanta Philharmonic, Macao
Orchestra, Hubei Symphony, Esprit Orchestra, Moab Music Festival, and members of the United States Naval Academy Band. His latest concerto, Restless World Anew, for the Dali String Quartet, was co-
commissioned by the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music, exploring our relationship with the natural world.

These build on prior performances and commissions by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, Shanghai Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and musicians from the Minnesota Orchestra, Paris Opera, and La Scala Orchestra. His passion for vocal music has led to collaborations with the Atlanta Opera, City Opera Vancouver, Canadian Art Song Project, Vancouver Chamber Choir, and l’Opéra Atelier Lyrique de Montréal. Roydon’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, including seven SOCAN Foundation Awards, the Washington International Composition Prize, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta’s Emerging Artist Award, Sir James Lougheed Award of Distinction, and the Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prizes – making history as the first recipient of both the Protégé and Distinguished Artist awards.

Born in Hong Kong, Roydon studied in the UK before earning his doctorate in composition from the University of Toronto, where he was a student of Norbert Palej. A dedicated educator, he teaches composition and musicianship at the University of Calgary, serves as a teaching artist with the Canadian Opera Company, and co-directs the annual Lunenburg Composition Academy for emerging composers.