Hong Kong superstar Eason Chan is marking his 30th anniversary in the music industry by doing something he has never attempted before: bringing a full recording studio onto a live stage.
The Cantopop icon will stage 26 performances of “Recording Sessions with Mr. Eason Chan” at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Opera House from December through February, inviting fans to watch classic songs being re-recorded in real time.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Chan explained why the venue holds such profound personal significance — and why it was the only choice for this milestone project.
A Venue Steeped in Memory
Chan revealed that his first impression of the academy dates to 1989, when the building appeared in Leslie Cheung’s music special “Sunset in Paris.” But the most defining moment came six years later.
On July 16, 1995, a 21-year-old Chan walked onto the same Opera House stage to compete in the 14th New Talent Singing Contest finals — the night that launched his recording career.
“Every detail of that evening remains vivid,” Chan wrote, expressing gratitude to the TVB variety department crew, his then-label Capital Artists, and event host Calvin Cheng. He also thanked the seven fellow contestants who shared that stage, including Miriam Yeung, Joyce Tang, and others who competed alongside him.
Chan singled out the eight judges who validated his talent that night: conductor Sanbao, SLUMP band vocalist Hiroyuki Nakano, producer Xiao Chong, composer Lam Man-yee, musician YT, songwriter Anthony Lun, producer Kong Kong-sang, and former TVB variety division general manager Tsang Kwok-keung.
He also credited the live audience, saying their warm applause and support gave him “a beautiful beginning.”
Full Circle
The singer’s connection to the academy actually predates his own debut. Chan said his earliest memory of the building comes from Leslie Cheung’s 1989 musical special “Sunset in Paris,” which featured the venue — an image that stayed with him for years.
But the defining moment came on July 16, 1995, when a 21-year-old Chan took the Opera House stage for the finals of the 14th New Talent Singing Contest, the competition that launched his recording career.
In his post, Chan expressed gratitude to the TVB variety department crew, colleagues at Capital Artists, and host Calvin Cheng, as well as the seven fellow contestants that night, including Miriam Yeung and Joyce Tang. He also thanked the eight judges — conductor Sanbao, SLUMP lead vocalist Hiroyuki Nakano, music producer Xiao Chong, composer Lam Man-yee, Anthony Lun, producer Kong Kong-sang, and former TVB executive Tsang Kwok-keung — along with the audience whose applause, he said, gave him “a beautiful beginning.”
A Full-Circle Moment
The upcoming residency represents more than a concert series; it is a homecoming. The Opera House was the stage where Chan, then a 21-year-old contestant, won the 14th New Talent Singing Contest in July 1995 — the breakthrough that launched one of the most storied careers in Chinese-language pop music.
By returning to that stage for his 30th anniversary, Chan is closing a professional loop that began with an audition and now encompasses a legacy of chart-topping albums and sold-out arenas worldwide.
The “Recording Sessions” concept is a bold experiment in an era when fans crave authenticity and behind-the-scenes access. Rather than a polished, finished product, audiences will experience the raw, unedited process of music-making — complete with the spontaneity and imperfections that define live recording.
For longtime fans, the performances promise to be more than concerts; they are an invitation into the creative process. For Chan, they represent a homecoming to the stage where, on July 16, 1995, he competed in the 14th New Talent Singing Contest finals and launched his storied career.
In his post, Chan expressed gratitude to the TVB variety team, Capital Artists staff, and host Calvin Cheng, as well as the seven fellow contestants that night — including Miriam Yeung, Joyce Tang, and others. He also thanked the eight judges who championed him: conductor Sanbao, SLUMP vocalist Hiroyuki Nakano, producer Xiao Chong, composers Lam Man-yee and Anthony Lun, producers Kong Kong-sang and YT, and former TVB executive Tsang Kwok-keung.
“The warm applause and support from the audience that night gave me a beautiful beginning,” Chan wrote.
The upcoming series offers fans a rare glimpse into his creative process, turning what is typically a private studio experience into a shared, intimate performance. For Chan, it is also a homecoming — a full-circle return to the stage where his journey first began.
