Mei-Ann Chen
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Mei-Ann Chen (; born 1973) is a
Taiwanese-American Taiwanese Americans ( Chinese: 臺灣裔美國人; pinyin: ''Táiwān yì měiguó rén''; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ''Tâi-Bí-jîn'') are Americans of Taiwanese ancestry, including American-born descendants of migrants from the Republic of China (Taiwan) ...
conductor. She is currently music director of the
Chicago Sinfonietta The Chicago Sinfonietta is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. The orchestra was founded in 1987 under the guidance of conductor and music director Paul Freeman (conductor), Paul Freeman (1936–2015) to address the disconnect be ...
and conductor laureate of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.


Early life and education

A native of
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, Chen wanted to be a conductor since she was ten years old. At a young age she began playing violin and piano with the support of her parents, and later taught herself to play the trumpet. However, Chen's parents also discouraged her from pursuing conducting as they felt it would be a difficult career path for a woman. She was intrigued with the concept of making elaborate noise, particularly without the use of an instrument. Chen would observe her conductor closely and began to learn how to conduct on her own. She collected batons, believing that "different pieces needed different kinds of batons". Chen left
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of approximately 2.73 million p ...
to study music in
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
, where she lived with her aunt and served as assistant conductor of her school's chorus. In 1989, Chen attended a concert in Taipei by the American Youth Orchestra, a touring ensemble of Boston's
New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...
. Following the performance, Chen's accompanist escorted her backstage, introduced her to the conductor, and asked if she could play for him. Chen's opportunity came the next morning when she played for conductor
Benjamin Zander Benjamin Zander (born 9 March 1939 in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, England) is an English conductor, who is currently the musical director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Biography Benjami ...
in a closed basement hotel bar and was offered a scholarship immediately. She performed with the American Youth Orchestra before being invited to attend the
Walnut Hill School Walnut Hill School for the Arts is an independent boarding school and day school for the arts located in Natick, Massachusetts, United States. It is intended for student artists in grades 9-12. History and programs Boarding school Walnut Hill ...
, a preparatory school linked to the New England Conservatory, two months later at age sixteen. She left her parents, who thought she would study to become a concert violinist, and for more than three years lived with a couple in Boston she referred to as her "American parents" (Mark Churchill and Marylou Speaker Churchill, who was once a member of the Portland Junior Symphony). Chen continued her undergraduate and graduate work at the Conservatory. Speaker taught Chen, who also received violin instruction from James Buswell and Eric Rosenblith as well as conducting supervision from Frank Battisti and Richard Hoenich. Chen became the first person to graduate from the New England Conservatory with a double
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
in conducting and violin performance and received two honors from the institution: the Chadwick Medal for outstanding undergraduate work, and the Schuller Medal for "extraordinary contribution to musical life in the community". Later in her career, in October 2010, Chen returned to the New England Conservatory to guest conduct the Philharmonia. Chen dedicated the concert to the late Marylou Speaker Churchill, and thanked Benjamin Zander and dean emeritus Mark Churchill for "making her career possible". Chen remained in Boston for nine years until she attended the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
to obtain a
Doctor of Musical Arts The doctor of musical arts (DMA) is a doctorate, doctoral academic degree in music. The DMA combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization (usually Performance, music performance, music composition, or conducting) with graduate-le ...
degree in conducting. There she studied with
Kenneth Kiesler Kenneth Kiesler (born August 18, 1953) is an American symphony orchestra and opera conductor and mentor to conductors. Kiesler is conductor laureate of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra where he was music director from 1980 to 2000 and founder and d ...
and Martin Katz, served as music director of the campus orchestras, and also became conductor for the Arbor Opera Theater.


Career

In 2001, Chen was the youngest finalist in the Maazel-Vilar Conductor's Competition in Tokyo. In 2002,
Leonard Slatkin Leonard Edward Slatkin (born September 1, 1944) is an American conductor, author and composer. Early life and education Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a Jewish musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His fat ...
invited Chen to conduct the National Symphony at the
Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...
in the National Conducting Institute. Chen received a fellowship to study at the
Aspen Music Festival and School The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is a European classical music, classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado. It is noted both for its concert programming and the musical training it offers to mostly young-adult music stu ...
with
David Zinman David Zinman (born July 9, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York) is a retired American conductor and violinist. Education After violin studies at Oberlin Conservatory, Zinman studied theory and composition at the University of Minnesota, earning his M.A. ...
. The following year the American Symphony Orchestra League (now known as the
League of American Orchestras The League of American Orchestras, formerly the American Symphony Orchestra League, is a North American service organization with 700 member orchestras of all budget sizes and types, plus individual and institutional members. Based in New York Ci ...
) invited Chen to be showcased at the National Conductor Preview.


Portland Youth Philharmonic

Chen became the
Portland Youth Philharmonic The Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) is the oldest youth orchestra in the United States, established in 1924 as the Portland Junior Symphony (PJS). Now based in Portland, Oregon, the orchestra's origin dates back to 1910, when music teacher Mary ...
's (PYP) fourth conductor in 2002 after being selected by a committee of "musically inclined" parents, a member of the orchestra, and representatives of the
Oregon Symphony The Oregon Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded as the "Portland Symphony Society" in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States. It ...
and
Portland Opera Portland Opera is an American opera company based in Portland, Oregon. Its performances take place in the Keller Auditorium and Newmark Theatre, both part of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Portland Opera also produces a separate su ...
. She conducted both the Philharmonic ensemble as well as the Conservatory Orchestra. One of the organization's board member's recalled that during her audition Chen very quickly captured the rapport of the orchestra and displayed "wonderful communication skills and genuineness". During her five-year tenure with the organization, PYP debuted at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
, received its third
ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...
award in 2004 for innovating programming, and began collaborating with the Oregon Symphony (Chen was the ensemble's assistant conductor from 2003 to 2005) and
Chamber Music Northwest Chamber Music Northwest (CMNW) is an American non-profit organization in Portland, Oregon, dedicated to the performance and promotion of chamber music. In addition to its annual Summer Festival, the organization also presents individual chamber ...
. In April 2005, Chen became the first woman to win the Malko Competition, the "world's most prestigious prize" for young conductors. She also won the Taki Concordia Fellowship in 2007, an award established by
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, ...
music director
Marin Alsop Marin Alsop (; born October 16, 1956) is an American conductor. She is the first woman to win the Koussevitzky Prize for conducting and the first conductor to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. She is music director laureate of the Baltimor ...
to support "promising" female conductors. Chen was presented the Sunburst Award from Young Audiences for her contribution to music education and was named "Educator of the Week" by
KKCW KKCW (103.3 FM, "K103") is a commercial radio station licensed to Beaverton, Oregon and serving the Portland metropolitan area. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs an adult contemporary radio format. From mid-November to December 31 each yea ...
. While conductor of the Philharmonic, Chen set up a box in her office so that students could leave notes for her about themselves. One musician in the orchestra felt that Chen was "kind of formal" during rehearsal but felt "like a big sister" once practice ended. Chen has been described as a "firecracker: small, bright and full of ka-boom", and her enthusiasm at times caused her to lose her breath. One of the organization's board members praised Chen's attitude and felt that her lack of ego was a "rare quality in top symphony performers". Chen turned down a position with the Oregon Symphony to continue work at PYP, later recalling: In 2007, she accompanied the orchestra on an international tour to Asia, where her parents saw her conduct for the first time. The Philharmonic offered a total of six performances between June 29 and July 17 in Kaohsiung, Tainan and Taipei, Taiwan as well as in Seoul and Ulsan, South Korea. Though Chen initially thought she would remain with the Philharmonic for ten years, she left in 2007 to become assistant conductor of the
Atlanta Symphony Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
. She said of her departure: "The musicians at PYP have become my kids. When I look back, these five years will always be the most memorable time of my musical career." Guest conductors during the 2007–2008 season included Ken Selden, director of orchestral studies at
Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the next ...
, former
Seattle Symphony The Seattle Symphony is an American orchestra based in Seattle, Washington. Since 1998, the orchestra is resident at Benaroya Hall. The orchestra also serves as the accompanying orchestra for the Seattle Opera. History Beginnings The orchest ...
conductor Alastair Willis, along with former PYP conductors
Huw Edwards Huw Edwards ( , ; born 18 August 1961) is a Welsh news presenter. He was the lead presenter of ''BBC News at Ten'', the late evening news programme of BBC Television, from 2003 to 2023. He resigned from the BBC in 2024, during a police investi ...
and Chen herself.


Baltimore, Memphis, Chicago

Chen served as the
Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...
's cover conductor during her tenure with PYP. Following her departure, she became assistant conductor of the Atlanta Symphony for two seasons (2007–2009). In April 2009 Chen withdrew her candidacy for music director of the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra. Her next role was assistant conductor of the
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, ...
for the 2009–2010 season, though she never led a subscription program and mostly conducted programs for children. Both positions were sponsored by the League of American Orchestras. In February 2010, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra named Chen its music director, effective with the 2010-2011 season, the first woman to hold the post. Chen's three-year tenure began in September 2010. Chen's contract was renewed for an additional three years in 2012, extending her leadership through the 2015–2016 season. During her Memphis tenure, she took up residence in
Mud Island, Memphis Mud Island is a small peninsula in Memphis, Tennessee. It is bordered by the Mississippi River to the west and the Wolf River (Tennessee), Wolf River and Harbor Town, Memphis, Harbor Town to the east. Mud Island River Park is within the Memp ...
. Chen concluded her tenure with the orchestra in 2016, and now has the title of conductor laureate of the orchestra. Chen became music director of the
Chicago Sinfonietta The Chicago Sinfonietta is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. The orchestra was founded in 1987 under the guidance of conductor and music director Paul Freeman (conductor), Paul Freeman (1936–2015) to address the disconnect be ...
on 1 July 2011, with an initial contract of 4 years. Chen has recorded a commercial album with the Sinfonietta released on May 28, 2013, entitled ''Delights & Dances'', on the Çedille label. In May 2014, the Chicago Sinfonietta extended her initial contract through the 2016-2017 season. In May 2016, the orchestra further extended Chen's contract through the 2018-2019 season. In December 2015, ''Musical America'' named Chen one of its 2015 "Top 30 Influencers". Chen served as Artistic Director and Conductor for the 2016 National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Summer Festival. In 2019, Chen became principal guest conductor of ''recreation – Grosses Orchester Graz''. In May 2021, the orchestra announced the appointment of Chen as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2021-2022 season. Chen is the first female conductor and the first Asian conductor to be named to this post with ''recreation – Grosses Orchester Graz''.


See also

* List of New England Conservatory people * List of Taiwanese Americans *
List of University of Michigan arts alumni ''The parent article is at List of University of Michigan alumni'' This is a list of arts-related alumni from the University of Michigan. Art, architecture, and design Architecture and civil engineering * James Baird, civil engineer; dire ...
* Music education for young children *
Music education in the United States Music education in the United States is implemented in many schools as a form of modern-day teaching. Music education is a field of study that focuses on the teaching and application of music in the classroom. As this addition to the curriculum ...
*
Music of Taiwan The music of Taiwan reflects the diverse culture of Taiwanese people. Taiwan has undergone several economic, social, and political changes through its cultural history, and Taiwanese music reflects those issues in its way. The music of the c ...


References


External links

*
Opus 3 Artists agency page on Mei-Ann Chen

Chicago Sinfonietta page on Mei-Ann Chen

"Mei-Ann Chen named music director of the Chicago Sinfonietta"
by Lawrence A. Johnson, ''Chicago Classical Review'' (2010)
"Meet Memphian no. 222, Mei-Ann Chen"
(2011)
"My Thoughts: Symphony, conservatory share same objective"
by David Loebel, former music director for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra (2010)
Interview on The World Music Foundation Podcast
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Mei-Ann 1973 births Living people 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American classical violinists 21st-century American women musicians American music educators American musicians of Taiwanese descent American women conductors (music) American women musicians of Chinese descent American women violinists Aspen Music Festival and School alumni Cedille Records artists Classical musicians from Oregon Musicians from Kaohsiung New England Conservatory alumni Portland Youth Philharmonic conductors Taiwanese emigrants to the United States Taiwanese women conductors (music) University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni Walnut Hill School alumni Women classical violinists