Dr. Stanford Cheung

Stanford Cheung has gained a distinct presence as a Canadian concert pianist, specializing in classical piano, contemporary, electronic, and experimental improvised music. From performing piano concertos with world-renowned orchestras and curating electroacoustic sound-architecture for art installations to facilitating impact-focused initiatives across creative organizations and collectives, Stanford maintains a versatile career across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia.

Dr. Cheung collaborates with a wide assemblage of Grammy Award-winning musicians, composers, collectives, and researchers to broaden the ontology of contemporary piano music. He is recognized for his key collaborations with Richard Reed Parry (core band member of Arcade Fire), Shahzad Ismaily (bassist for Love in Exile), Morgan Fisher (keyboardist for Queen), William Brittelle (co-founder of New Amsterdam Records), Nobuo Kubota, Eric Lewis, Steven J. Fowler, Ichiro Fujinaga, Tianyi Zheng, Guildo de Favis, Henry McPherson, CIRMMT, Medea Electronique, Figure 8 Recordings, Skybarn Studios, and Buddies in Bad Times.

Known for the breadth and creativity of his programming choices, Stanford often combines his piano expertise with cross-disciplinary approaches to curate imaginative projects that fuse electronics, improvisation, visual art, and foley across a variety of artistic contexts. These works include compositions and concert exhibitions that have been presented internationally at institutions such as the Banff Centre for the Arts, The University of Edinburgh, Osaka University, Christchurch University WinterSound Festival, Orpheus Institute, the 48th Rhubarb Festival, IKLECTIK, The Operating System, Experimental Music Studios, and Koumaria.

Stanford earned his doctorate and master’s degrees in piano performance from McGill University, where he studied under the guidance of Professor Kyoko Hashimoto. He also served as a piano instructor at McGill University. He received his bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the University of Toronto, where he studied under the late, legendary Marietta Orlov. Throughout his educational journey, he was fortunate to be mentored by celebrated pedagogues such as Dang Thai Son, Christopher Hinterhuber, Kum Sing Lee, and John O’Conor.

In May 2024, with Aural Shapes Records, Stanford released an album of avant-garde improvised piano and electronic music entitled Endroll, produced in collaboration with the two-time Grammy-nominated artist Shahzad Ismaily, and Italian drummer Andrea Scala. In 2025, with Azure Sky, Stanford will release Folios of Light, an album featuring the piano music of contemporary Japanese composers Ryuichi Sakamoto, Dai Fujikura, and Takashi Yoshimatsu.

Dr. Cheung regularly serves as an adjudicator for national and international music festivals and competitions. He is also the artistic director for In Concert for Cambodia, a concert initiative that helps support The Peaceful Children’s Homes in Cambodia. Additionally, Stanford practices sound design and recording at Figure 8 Recording in New York. When not at the piano, Stanford writes poetry and has gained recognition as an internationally published author, with poetry collections housed in libraries around the world.