Doctor of Education, University of South Carolina
Master of Music in Music Education, Boston University
B.A. (Hons.) in Music, HKBU
LTCL Diploma in Viola Performance
Committee Member (Private Studio, Music Reviews) of American String Teachers Association
Member of National Association of Music Education
Dr. LI Chak Lai (Anand Li)
Dr. Anand Li (LI Chak Lai) is a conductor, violist, and music education scholar whose career bridges performance, teaching, and research in Hong Kong and internationally. He earned his Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies from the University of South Carolina, with research interests spanning curriculum and instruction in music education, string and ensemble pedagogy, and student motivation. His doctoral research employed practitioner-led action research grounded in self-determination theory to foster intrinsic motivation and musical achievement in instrumental music settings.
Dr. Li holds a Master of Music in Music Education from Boston University, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Music from Hong Kong Baptist University with a concentration in composition, and the LTCL Diploma in Viola Performance from Trinity College London. He studied violin with Lung Heung-Fai, viola with Felix Ungar, and composition with Christopher Keyes, Christopher Coleman, Matthew Schreibeis, and Tang Wai-chung. His conducting mentors include Jennifer Ho Ka-ying, Choi Ho-man, and Law Po-kwan, and he has participated in masterclasses with Mikko Franck, Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and Lio Kuokman.
As a conductor, Dr. Li has collaborated with ensembles including Collegium Musicum Hong Kong, Millennium Youth Orchestra, Millennium Green Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Baptist University Symphony Orchestra. He currently conducts the Mozart and Haydn Orchestras of the Hong Kong Children’s Symphony Orchestra. School orchestras under his direction have repeatedly earned gold awards at the School Music Competition and received high acclaim in public performances.
In higher education, Dr. Li serves as Lecturer at the Hong Kong Baptist University Academy of Music, where he teaches music education, and has developed programs including the Professional Diploma in Music Teaching for the HKBU School of Continuing Education, where he oversees curriculum design, teacher development, and studio administration.
Beyond the podium, Dr. Li is deeply engaged in the international music education community. He serves on the American String Teachers Association’s Private Studio and Music Reviews Committees and holds memberships in the National Association for Music Education, the International Society for Music Education, the Suzuki Association of the Americas, and the International Conductors Guild. He served as a Theory Examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. An active presenter and author, he has presented research at the ISME World Conferences (Helsinki 2024; Montréal 2026), ASTA National Conferences (2022; Atlanta 2025; San Francisco 2026), and the WERA Focal Meeting 2026, and regularly publishes papers and music reviews in the American String Teacher, String Research Journal, and Music Educators Journal, fostering cross-cultural dialogue in music education.
Research Interests
- Curriculum and Instruction (Music Education)
- String and Ensemble Pedagogy
- Teacher Education
- Motivation
- Learning Diversity
Anand Li 