Dai Dingcheng is a professor and doctoral supervisor holding a PhD in Composition Theory. His primary field of research focuses on early European polyphonic music. Since relocating to Macau in 2003, he has concurrently pursued research into Macau's urban musical culture. He currently serves as Full Professor at the City University of Macau, in charge of the Doctoral Programme in Musicology, and as Director of the Macau Urban Music Research Center. His additional appointments include: Council Member of the China Musicians Association; Expert Reviewer for the China National Arts Fund; Member of the Academic Committee of the National Research Institute for Teaching Materials for K-12 Arts Education at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music; Doctoral Supervisor and Academic Advisor for the Talent Development Base for Art Studies at South China Normal University; and as Visiting Professor at the Central Conservatory of Music, China Conservatory of Music, and Xinghai Conservatory of Music. He is a member of the Cultural and Creative Expert Committee of the Guangdong Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area, and holds honorary presidencies at organisations including the Macao Cheong Hong Music Club, Macao Taoist Orchestra Association, Macau Band Directors Association, Macau Urban Music Research Association, World Nanyin Association, and the Central Conservatory of Music Macau Alumni Association. Formerly, he served as Visiting Professor at Newcastle University in the UK; Member of the Department of Music Advisory Committee at Hong Kong Baptist University; First Dean of Shanghai Normal University Music College; Professor and Director of the School of Arts at the Macao Polytechnic Institute; Deputy Director of National Higher Education Academic Committee on Music Theory and Composition; Member of the Cultural Consultative Council of the Macao SAR Government; Vice-Chairman of the Shanghai Musician Association; Director of the Music Theory Committee of the Shanghai Musician Association, Member of the World Choir Game, and Director of the Asia-Pacific Ethnomusicology Association.

Born in Shanghai, Dai Dingcheng began studying music in his childhood. He completed his Bachelor of Music degree in Shanghai, majoring in Composition under the supervision of Associate Professor Chen Songling, and teaching assistantship training under the tutelage of Professors Chen Mingzhi, Lin Hua, Mao Yurun, and Yang Liqing. He subsequently studied abroad at Shizuoka University in Japan under Chair Professor Shizunao Sugai, before pursuing doctoral studies in the Department of Composition at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music under Professor Sang Tong, becoming the first doctoral graduate of the department. He has undertaken numerous teaching engagements and research projects both domestically and internationally. His published monographs include: Concepts and Forms of Early European Harmony (Shanghai: 2000, 2001); Keyboard Harmony and Improvisation (Anhui: 1991, 2001, 2004); Music Performance in Macau (Macau: 2005); Music Education in Macau (Macau: 2005); Music Composition in Macau (Macau: 2007); Choral Classics (Beijing: 2008); Catholic Music in Macau in the Twentieth Century: Music Writers and their Works in a Unique Historical Context (Macau: Chinese edition, 2013; revised edition, 2015; English edition, 2015); Música Católica em Macau no Século XX (Lisbon: 2018); Research on European Polyphonic Music in the Sixteenth Century (Taiwan: 2017); Research on Urban Music Culture in Macau (Shanghai: 2022, 2023); Tracing the History of Wind Bands in Macau (1600-1950) (Hong Kong: 2025); and Research on Macau's Folk and Ritual Music in the Twentieth Century (Hong Kong: 2025). He has published over one hundred academic papers in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Portuguese in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, and numerous European and American countries, along with over one hundred additional scholarly articles. He has received dozens of awards for music research, composition, and teaching. For his academic contributions to the music culture, he was awarded the ‘Outstanding Returned Overseas Scholar’ medal by the Mayor of Shanghai in 1997 and the ‘Medal of Merit (Culture)’ by the Chief Executive of the Macao SAR Government in 2013.