CHEN, Chi-Yuan Viola

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Chi-Yuan Chen is recognized as one of the leading violists of his generation. The third prize winner of the International Paris Viola Competition Ville d’Avary in 2004, and silver medalist at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, Mr. Chen was the first violist to win the Concerto Competition at the New England Conservatory since the institution’s inception in 1867. He has also received the Henri Kohn award from the Tanglewood Music Centre for his outstanding musicianship and contribution in the summer of 2000.

Mr. Chen began violin study at the age of 6 and switched to viola shortly after. He made his public debut in Taiwan at age 10, and has since toured internationally performing at the White House in Washington, D. C., Jordan Hall in Boston, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Seoul Arts and Culture Centre, National Concert Hall in Taiwan, National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing, City Hall in Hong Kong, Culture Centre in Macau, Carnegie Hall in New York, Disney Hall and Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, to name a few.

As a soloist, Mr. Chen has performed concerti with orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, the Taipei Civic Symphony Orchestra, the National Defense Symphony Orchestra and the New England Symphony Orchestra. In recent years, his repertoire has grown to include works of most influential contemporary composers in the world, such as John Corigliano, John Harbison, Toshio Hosokawa, George Perle, Jean-Louis Petit and Elliott Carter, whom he worked with and premiered the composer’s ASKO concerto in Tanglewood’s Seiji Ozawa Concert Hall. Mr. Chen also frequently performs as guest principal violist with the Taipei Metropolitan Symphony, Taiwan String Orchestra, the Taipei Opera Symphony Orchestra, and the Taipei Century Orchestra, among others.

Mr. Chen is an active and seasoned chamber music and ensemble artist. As a guest artist, he has performed with numerous ensembles, including the Boston Chamber Music Society, Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, and the Gardner Museum Chamber Ensemble in Boston, where he was the principal violist for three years. He has collaborated with distinguished artists including members of the Arditti, Brentano, Emerson, Guarneri, Mendelssohn and Miami String Quartets, the Cleveland Quartet, and artists Colin Carr, Ani and Ida Kavafian, Yo-Yo Ma, Kurt Masur, Paula Robison, Seiji Ozawa, among others. As a founding member, Mr. Chen’s Great Wall String Quartet concluded their debut season represented Great Wall of China in a documentary film as one of the six historical sites in Beijing for the United Nations.  The quartet will release their debut album at the beginning of 2011.

Mr. Chen holds a Doctoral degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook; a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from the New England Conservatory, both with the highest distinctions. His teachers include Ben Lin, James Dunham, Martha Katz, Katherine Murdock and Nobuko Imai. Mr. Chen is a faculty member with the San Diego State University, and the Great Wall International Music Academy in Beijing. He is also a tenured member of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra where he regularly performs as the acting associate principal violist. He is an artist of the Asia Pacific Arts Management Ltd.