One of Canada’s most versatile and sought-after composers, and recipient of the prestigious 2025 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize, Kevin Lau’s music has been described as “brilliantly idiomatic” (New York Times), “masterful” (Classical Music Sentinel) and “riveting” (Ottawa Citizen). He has been commissioned by some of Canada’s most prominent artists and ensembles, and his work has been performed internationally in countries such as the USA, Denmark, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, and South Korea. A prolific composer of orchestral, chamber, ballet, opera, and film music, he served as Affiliate Composer of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 2012–2015; to date, he has produced eight works for the TSO. He has composed three original ballets for companies including the National Ballet of Canada (Le Petit Prince), National Arts Centre (Dark Angels), and Bravo Niagara! (Kimiko’s Pearl). In 2026 he served as composer in residence of the Houston-based ROCO (River Oaks Chamber Orchestra).

Kevin’s music can be found on over a dozen commercial recordings, and his seven string quartets have been championed globally by internationally renowned ensembles such as the Viano, Poiesis, Tesla, Dior, and Afiara Quartets. In 2026, his ballet Kimiko’s Pearl received the JUNO award for Best Classical Album (Small Ensemble), and was a nominee for Best Classical Composition. Previously, Kevin’s debut album Under a Veil of Stars (performed by the St. John-Mercer-Park Trio) was also nominated for a JUNO award for Best Classical Album.

Kevin’s creative output, often inspired by the fantastical lens of childhood, is unified by a fascination with flow, and the search for deep connections amidst surface diversity — connections that serve as a metaphor for the reconciliation of seemingly fundamental differences.