Born and raised in Hong Kong, Adrian Wong is a composer who aims to create engaging and moving music full of imagery, drama, and unapologetic conviction. Adrian takes inspiration from a wide array of subjects, from the impending climate crisis to matters of identity, as well as the smaller things in life, from the lullabies his mother sang to the tastes and textures of his favorite foods.

Currently based in Philadelphia, Adrian’s music has straddled the Pacific Ocean and then some: it has seen performances from the bustling Hong Kong City Hall to the serene St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London’s Trafalgar Square; from Greece’s Ancient Theatre of Pythagorion to the repurposed Carriage House at Lake George in New York. His choral works have also been featured in the World Choir Games in Auckland and Gangneung and in concerts in London, Italy, Taiwan, Singapore, and Tokyo. The Diocesan Choral Society’s victory at the 2025 World Choral Championship, which featured Adrian’s piece 武藝 – Martial Arts as their commissioned centerpiece, was awarded as one of Radio Television Hong Kong’s Top 10 Music Headlines in 2025.

Highlights of the 2025-26 season include the premieres of Still They Wait, a 20-minute work for Cong Quartet about Hong Kong’s iconic Amah Rock 望夫石; How to Say Goodbye, a SATB choir and piano work commissioned by David Hahn, the Paul S. and Jean R. Amos Distinguished Chair in Music and Conductor of the Schwob Singers at Columbus State University; a new art song commissioned by NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing); and performances in Paris, Cambridge, Montréal, Cincinnati, Boston, Chicago, and Hong Kong. Adrian’s upcoming projects include a monodrama for tenor Stephen Ng and percussionist Matthew Lau; a band consortium commission led by Prof. Courtney Snyder and the University of Michigan Concert Band; and a trilogy of choral pieces inspired by Chinese martial arts for the award-winning Diocesan Choral Society.

Adrian’s past commissions include works for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Curtis Institute of Music, Samos Young Artists Festival, NOEMA, Young New Yorkers’ Chorus, Hong Kong Composers’ Guild, trumpeter James Vaughen (Principal Trumpet, Minnesota Orchestra), Evan Luca Gray (IOS, Zürich), countertenor Sam Higgins, pianist Zach Hoi Leong Cheong, Lati2de, Christ Church Georgetown, amongst others.

Adrian has collaborated with tenor Hongrui Ren; flutist Julin Cheung; and bassoonists Asha Kline, Kahlan Yenney, Luis Márquez Teruel, among others. His music has also been performed or recorded by ensembles such as St. Martin’s Voices, NOTUS Contemporary Ensemble, Hong Kong Voices, Hong Kong Youth Choir, Illinois State University Madrigal Singers, The Mad Singers, Voices of Singapore Singers, Alarm Will Sound, h2 saxophone quartet, Hub New Music, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, the Rhythm Method, Ninth Planet, Nu Quintet, and NOVA Ensemble; and musicians such as oboists Katherine Needleman and Philippe Tondre, bassoonist Daniel Matsukawa, and pianist Jihye Chang.

In recent years, Adrian has held fellowships from the Curtis Institute of Music and the Intimacy of Creativity at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He has also received awards from the American Prize, the RED NOTE Composition Competition, the Hong Kong New Generation Composition Competition, the Brevard Music Center, Stare at the Sun Choir, Juventas New Music Ensemble, NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing), BRACE New Music Choir, and Nu Quintet. A recent Curtis graduate, Adrian received the Provosts’ Award for Achievement in Career Studies, recognizing his teaching artist work at the George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science.

Besides his work as a composer and teaching artist, Adrian is the Coordinator for Community Partnerships at the Curtis Institute of Music and also serves on Curtis’ Musical Studies faculty. He maintains a small studio of private composition students of all ages.

Adrian received an M.M. in music composition from the Curtis Institute of Music as the Milton L. Rock Composition Fellow, studying with Amy Beth Kirsten, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Nick DiBerardino, Richard Danielpour, and Steven Mackey. Adrian received a B.M. in music composition with Highest Honors at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, studying with Bright Sheng and Kristin Kuster. Other non-composition teachers include Jonathan Coopersmith, Courtney Snyder, Adrian Slywotzky, Mark Stover, Julie Skadsem, Felix Shuen (all conducting); and Keiko Sato and Matthew Bengtson (piano).

Thanks to his Dad, Adrian has been playing football (soccer) since he was a toddler and is a (once) long-suffering supporter of Newcastle United. Other hobbies include surprising people with the amount of food he consumes and finding the best ramen in Philadelphia.