Chee Wei Tay

Film Composer & Pianist | Melbourne, Australia

Chee Wei Tay is an award-winning film composer and pianist based in Melbourne, Australia. Recognized as one of Southeast Asia’s leading film composers, Chee Wei has scored more award-winning productions than any other composer in the region. His music is known for its emotional depth, cinematic texture, and ability to elevate storytelling across a wide range of visual mediums.

A native of Singapore, Chee Wei has composed for feature films, television series, documentaries, museums, and theme park installations. His success began in Asia and soon extended worldwide—he became the first Asian composer ever invited to score for NOVA, the flagship science series of PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) in the United States.

His international credits include:

  • Decoding the Weather Machine (PBS/NOVA)

  • Black Hole Apocalypse (PBS/NOVA)

  • Route Awakening (National Geographic Channel)

Chee Wei's work has earned numerous awards and accolades, including:

  • Bring Back the Dead – Best Music Score, 49th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival

  • Mekong – Soul of a River – Best Soundtrack, COMPASS Awards

  • Emperor of the Seas: The Voyages of Zheng He – Best Original Score, Asian Television Awards

  • Ocean Animal Emergency (PBS/NOVA) – Best Soundtrack, COMPASS Awards

  • Platinum Remi for Music – 48th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival

In 2010, he became the first non-pop composer to be named Young Composer of the Year, and in 2013, the first non-pop recipient of Singapore’s prestigious COMPASS Wings of Excellence / Overseas Achievement Award.

Beyond film and television, Chee Wei has led numerous large-scale international projects through his company, De Claffer Music Productions. He served as Music Director for the 2005 World Expo in Japan and led his team to design and score the world’s first customized 12.1 surround sound installation at the Army Museum of Singapore in 2008.

In 2012, Chee Wei was one of only three musicians accepted into the Ilia Musin Advanced Conducting Workshop at the Marinsky/St. Petersburg International Music Academy, where he conducted ensembles including Symphony Syracuse in New York.

Today, Chee Wei continues to push boundaries in cinematic composition, blending East and West, tradition and innovation, in every score he creates.