Ian Chen (陳彥竹), a Taiwanese-Canadian composer, won Best Film/TV/Game Score Award for the soundtrack of the video game "Fantastic Creatures (四靈文明)" at the 18th Independent Music Awards (The IMAs).
With the world in lockdown amid the Covid-19 outbreak, the IMAs canceled this year's live ceremony.
In an interview with Central News Agency (CNA), Chen expressed his thanks to his team for giving him complete freedom to explore and experiment with musical arrangements and orchestrations that are rarely used in today's gaming soundtracks. He also appreciated the full support from his family, especially from his wife.
Chen said that Fantastic Creatures takes place in a world derived from ancient Chinese mythology, and the soundtrack makes extensive use of traditional Chinese instruments, adding that he was fortunate to work with many world-class musicians. He hopes that, through his music, more people will have the opportunity to learn about this part of ancient Chinese culture.
Chen was nominated by the 2019 Golden Bell Awards for his creation the soundtrack of the Netflix series "Green Door" (魂囚西門), starring Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰) and the award-winning actress Hsieh Ying-Xuan (謝盈萱).
In 2018, his score for the American feature documentary "This Land" received nominations internationally, including "Best Original Documentary Score" for the Tenerife International Film Music Festival (Fimucité) in Spain, and the Crystal Pine Award "Best Original Documentary Score" at the International Sound & Film Music Festival (ISFMF) in Croatia.
Chen studied classical and modern orchestral composition at Cornell University, and furthered his education at NYU Steinhardt’s film music graduate program. His music is a unique blend of electronics, classical orchestration, and contemporary sampling techniques. He is proficient in a multitude of musical instruments across different musical families and cultural backgrounds, and his focus on texture and color allows him to create soundscapes that are distinctive to each project, whether it be his solo works or on the big screen.