Stephen Chau began studying classical guitar in 1980 and won the first Prize at the “Hong Kong Guitar Festival, Classical Section”, in 1982. He entered the “Hong Kong Music Institute” in the same year, majoring in guitar performance. In 1984, he received a scholarship to participate in “Musica en Compostela in Spain”, and furthered his studies at the “Real Conservatorio Superior de Musica” in Madrid in 1987, studying under renowned guitarists and composers, among them Manuel Barrueco and Leo Brouwer.
In addition to solo performances, Stephen is also keen on chamber music, and recorded his “Duet” CD of guitar chamber music in 1996, “Guitar New Age” in 2005 and “Lollipops” with well-known harmonica player Mark Chan in 2012. To date, he has premiered over 20 guitar works by Hong Kong composers.
As the leader of “Muse Guitar Quartet”, the Quartet were invited to play the opening concert at the “2015 Altamira Guangdong Guitar Festival”. The Quartet also premiere two substantial guitar works by two Hong Kong composers at “Dancing on the String Concert” of Muse Guitar Quartet at 2015. Stephen Played guitar duet with his son Paco and being the judge in the competition in “2016 Altamira Hong Kong International Guitar Symposium”.
Stephen is always seeking new opportunities of performing with different art forms, such as when he played with renowned pipa player Li Ge from China and with Hong Kong composer/poet Chan Ka-fu and Mark Chan reciting Chan's poems at “The 2nd Pearl River Poem Art Festival 2005”. Stephen also collaborated with Chung Ying Theatre Company, playing live music to their production of “The Postman” at the “Latin Passion Festival”. In 2006 saw him performing with the “Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra” and pop star Anthony Wong in a version of “Bauhinian Rhapsody”. In 2007 Stephen teamed up with Mark Chan again, keyboard player Paul Chan and frame drum player John Lee as the “Ars Nova Ensemble”, and gave three concerts at the Hong Kong Fringe Club. In 2012 Stephen had joined the “Theatre du Pif” to play the music of Astor Piazzolla in the theatre play base on the fiction of Jorge Luis Borges directed by Bonni Chan at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Studio Theatre. Stephen’s recent recital “Alice Strings-The Guitar World of Stephen Chau” at July 2017 and “Alice Strings-Stephen Chau & Friends Concert” at August 2018is highly acclaimed.