Francis Kan was born in Hong Kong and graduated in viola performance from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. In 1993 he was awarded a full scholarship to further his music studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. While performing on tour as a member of the Asian Youth Orchestra, he was appointed as a conducting intern under the recommendation and mentorship of Sergiu Commissiona. In 1995 he won the International Competition for Young Conductors in Portugal which led to guest engagements with the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra and the Romanian Radio National Orchestra, among others. Francis Kan was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Macao Orchestra from 2006 to 2023 and Resident Conductor of the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra from 2010 to 2012. He has also worked extensively on the mainland as a guest conductor with the China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, the National Ballet of China Symphony Orchestra, the Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra and the Harbin Symphony Orchestra. Between 2015 and 2018 Francis Kan led three major international concert tours: the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra’s 2015 tour to South Africa, the Macao Orchestra’s 2015 tour to Europe (Switzerland and Hungary) and the Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra’s 2018 tour to Brazil. Closer to home he has conducted the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. From 2008 to 2013 he was the Principal Conductor of The Union Philharmonic Orchestra, HKUSU.