Dennis Lau
Dennis Lau (born 9 September 1985) is an award-winning Malaysian Chinese electric violinist, pianist, songwriter and producer that is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Dennis Lau | |
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| Born | 9 September 1985 Ipoh, Malaysia |
| Occupation | Musician Composer Record Producer |
| Years active | 2006 - present |
| Known for | Revolutionizing the sound and showmanship of the violin and the World's only Gold Phoenix Violinist |
| Website | www.dennislau.com.my |
Childhood & early beginnings
Lau was born and raised in Ipoh where he lived there for 8 years before permanently moving to Kuala Lumpur. At that time, he studied in SRJK(C) San Min. His first exposure to music began at the age of 3 with the piano, under the guidance of his mother Chuah Chai Eng, who is a pianist herself. When he turned 11, Lau became the youngest in Malaysia to reach Grade 8 in the ABRSM graded piano exam.[1]
Lau also took up violin lessons on the side when he was 8 years old, under the tutelage of prominent violin instructors in Malaysia, Nora Kim and the late Andrew Chye. By the age of 15, he obtained the ATCL Diploma, and within the following years, he was awarded for his outstanding performance for his LTCL and FTCL exams.
After secondary studies, he decided to further his education in music, citing that he was “bad in his academics” and since his interests gravitated more towards the arts, “music was the only thing” that he could “pass”.[2]
Education (2004 - 2006)
He attended UCSI University for his tertiary studies and graduated in 2006 with a B.A in Music under the Newcastle Australian Music Degree Programme, with a Double Major in Piano and Violin.
At that time, Lau was also actively involved as a regular secessionist with the RTM Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra. He also held the first violin position for the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPYO).
During his second year, Lau was already frequently playing the violin in hotel lounges and took part in a bit of acting on the side. By his third year, he started composing his own songs and initiated more collaborations with local artistes, which contributed to his popularity.
Career
Pre-Debut (2007-2009)
Lau quickly became well-known for his frequent appearances in high profile events and functions as a performer. Apart from playing at launches of well-known brands, he also performed for Dato’ Sri Khalid bin Mohamad Jiwa and Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza’s first wedding anniversary in 2007.
In 2007 itself, he founded Mosaic Entertainment Group, a platform that offers artistes the chance to showcase their talent by giving them the opportunity to perform at various functions.
Debut (2009)
In November 2009, Lau launched his maiden album titled DiversiFy, which won an award for Best Producer. Sony Music Entertainment signed Lau on and took on the role as distributors of DiversiFy — this made Lau the first instrumental artiste to be signed on with Sony in the whole nation.
Lau also made a guest appearance in Star World’s Asia Uncut Programme hosted by Jon Niermann in Shanghai. On top of that, he also had his first collaboration with an international artiste when he performed with David Tao during his ‘Love Can’ concert.
Eventually, Lau was travelling around the world to perform at various functions in the presence of notable public figures.
2010
- First music video shot for his number Prelude in F Minor.
- Release of DiversiFy Limited Edition in November.
- Sony Music gave the opportunity to open for Adam Lambert during his Asia tour.
2011
- Collaboration with DJ Bass Agents in Crown Casino Melbourne for one of the biggest 2011 Merdeka Celebrations.
- Performed at the Islamic Fashion Festival in London, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur where he played in the presence of Stella McCartney as well as the Princess of Monaco.
- Made his film debut in Namewee’s Nasi Lemak 2.0 and starred as Lan Qiao.
- Special performance by Invitation for Her Majesty, Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah in Istana Terengganu in Kuala Lumpur.
2012
- Performed for the Installation Ceremony of the King (Majlis Santapan Di-Raja) at Istana Negara.
- Performed during the royal visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton in the palace of the King in Malaysia.
- Performed as a guest artist for MC Jin in ‘My Dream’ concert live in Kuala Lumpur
- Won his first award in the Prestige Top 40 Under 40
- Opening act for Miyavi live in Kuala Lumpur
- Released music video for Gotcha Style which features collaboration with well-known artistes such as Moots of Pop Shuvit, Thanuja Ananthan the Miss World Malaysia 2009 as well as fashion creator Bernard Chandran.
- Starred in Namewee’s second film Hantu Gangster.
2013
- Won the Rising Star awards for Outstanding Performance Artiste of the Year during the McMillan Woods Global Awards.
- Starred in Jason Kok’s film Fantasia.
- Recorded a single with Soo Wincci titled ‘Don’t You Wanna Know’.
2014
- Launched an album titled ‘The Malaysian Journey’ initiated by the Jabatan Kementerian Kesenian Negara (JKKN) which features Malay classic songs performed by renowned local artistes such as Ning Baizura, David Arumugam and more.
- Spoke in TEDxKL.[3]
2015
- Worked with LA-based Singaporean record producer Tat Tong and released another album titled ‘The Journey’.
- Won several awards from Malaysia Book of Records, McMillan Woods Global Awards, Global Branding Awards, Selangor Excellence Business Awards, as well as Asia Pacific CSR Awards.
2016
- Was selected by MATRADE as one of the delegates to attend the Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale (MIDEM) conference in Cannes.
- Customised a 23k gold electric violin in a shape of a phoenix with Alistair Hay the founder of Emerald Guitars who crafted Wang Lee Hom's dragon guitar.[4]
- Held his first ever large-scale concert Dennis Lau & Friends — The Phoenix Rising Concert which features various local artistes that he has previously collaborated with over the years.
2017
- His single ‘The Destination’ featuring Esmond Chong hit number one on the Malaysian Hitz.Fm MET10 charts.
- Performed at the Hong Kong Handover Ceremony Anniversary alongside Wong Cho-lam and Mag Lam.
- Currently working on a collaboration with award-winning producer Hanjin Tan for his upcoming music video titled ‘Lafite’.
Charity
- World Environmental Day
- Estee Lauder Earth Month
- AIDS Awareness Campaigns
- Yayasan Sunbeams Home annual charity dinner
- Charity concert ‘Hope & Smile’ organised by Dato Lee Chong Wei and A/X Loves Japan
- Finished with Fins Project
- Shark Savers Malaysia
Discography
Albums
- DiversiFy (2009)
- DiversiFy Limited Edition (2010)
- The Journey (2015)
Single
- The Journey (2015)
- Don’t You Wanna Know featuring Soo Wincci (2015)
- The Destination featuring Esmond Chong (2015)
Product Endorsement
Awards
- 2012 - Prestige Top 40 Under 40
- 2013 - McMillan Woods Global Awards
- 2014 - The BrandLaureate Grand Master Brand ICON Leadership Award 2014
- 2014 - ASEAN Leading Violinist Performer
- 2015 - Most Music Collaboration by an Instrumentalist
- 2015 - Icon in Contemporary Instrumental Music
- 2015 - Global Music Entrepreneur Icon Of The Year Award (Masterclass Category)
- 2015 - Selangor Excellence Business Awards 2015 (Industry Class in Music & Entertainment)
- 2015 - Asia Pacific CSR Awards (Masterclass Socially Responsible Entrepreneur in Music & Entertainment)
Personal life
On March 14, 2016, Lau proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Yenni Chow, a real estate agent. The couple has been dating for more than 10 years.
References
- Goh, Andrew (21 October 2016). "From Fire and Ashes, Dennis Lau Rises". August Man. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
- Maganathan, Dinesh (16 October 2016). "Violinist Dennis Lau is simply electric". The Star. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
- Dennis Lau. "The journey | TEDxKL". YouTube. TEDx Talks. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
- Walsh, Harry (28 June 2016). "Epic adventure brings Malaysian musician to Donegal". Donegal News. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
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