Chris Han

Chris Han was born in Pasadena, California, and began his musical journey as a pianist at the age of 12. Chris received his initial musical training in Seoul, Korea, where his numerous achievements in competitions and performances were acknowledged by the Korean Government with the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism award.

Chris pursued his undergraduate study at Seoul National University, under the guidance of Aviram Reichert. His undergraduate studies were fully supported by the Hyundai CMK Foundation. He then returned to the United States for his graduate studies, earning his Master of Music degree at the Eastman School of Music, where he is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the guidance of Douglas Humpherys on a full scholarship.

Throughout his musical journey, Chris has participated in numerous summer festivals, including the Fontainebleau Schools of Music and Fine Arts, Manifest Arts Festival, IRCAM Academy, Gijón International Piano Festival, MusicAlp International Music Academy, and more.

In addition to his performance orientation, Chris is also a dedicated educator. He currently teaches the Sight Reading Class required for all undergraduate piano majors as an Instructor at Eastman. He also serves as a teaching assistant to Douglas Humpherys.

Chris takes pride in approaching music from diverse and interdisciplinary perspectives. His musical interests include cognitive aspects of sight reading and the innovative integration of classical and contemporary musics through sonic, architectural, and visual domains. As an advocate of newly written music and forgotten music, he also actively collaborates with living composers from diverse backgrounds, exploring contemporary music and its limitless possibilities.