Steven’s earliest compositions were strongly influenced by the American Minimalist movement introduced to him by his first music and composition teachers Leong Dee Yinn and the Malaysian composer Adeline Wong.Steven studied composition at the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Adelaide, South Australia with Stephen Whittington, Graeme Koehne, and Charles Bodman Rae. Groups that have performed his works include the Australian String Quartet and the Elder Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra. This lead to commissions from other individuals and ensembles, including Bella Voce and the Eclectica Trio.