Ray Chew, a member of Local 802 since 1975, performs at the helm of award-winning musical events with the world’s most popular artists, including Rihanna, Carrie Underwood, Pharrell Williams, Justin Bieber, Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz, Pitbull, Queen Latifah, James Taylor, Yolanda Adams, Jennifer Hudson and Quincy Jones. Chew is music director for ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars,” where he performs precision renditions of current and classic hits. His resume is literally too vast to list here completely. He served as music director on “American Idol” for three years. He was the “go-to” music director for BET for many years, and he has also served as the music director for the Apollo Theatre. Chew has music directed the top events in the country, including Barack Obama’s inaugural ball, the Democratic National Convention, Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, the Hollywood Bowl, the Miss Universe competition, the Grammys, the Emmys and the NAACP Image Awards. He even music directed a Nobel Peace Prize broadcast in Norway. Recently at Carnegie Hall, he curated “A Night of Inspiration,” where he conducted a 64-piece orchestra joined by a 200-voice choir. Local 802’s Bob Pawlo recently sat down with Ray Chew to learn about his amazing musical journey.
