Role

:

Composer

 

Shih-Hui Chen is a Taiwanese-American composer of classical music. She was born on August 17, 1962, in Taiwan. Chen grew up in a family of musicians, and her parents were both music teachers. Her father was a composer and conductor, and her mother was a pianist. Chen started playing the piano at the age of four and began composing music at the age of six. Chen received her Bachelor of Music degree from the National Taiwan Normal University in 1984. She then moved to the United States to pursue her graduate studies in music composition. Chen received her Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 1987 and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University in 1992. Chen's music is influenced by her Taiwanese heritage and her experiences living in the United States. She often incorporates traditional Taiwanese instruments and melodies into her compositions. Chen's music has been described as "a fusion of Eastern and Western musical traditions." Chen's early works include "Fantasia for Piano and Orchestra" (1986) and "Three Songs for Soprano and Piano" (1987). These works demonstrate Chen's early interest in combining traditional Western classical music with Taiwanese folk music. In the 1990s, Chen's music began to gain recognition. Her work "Fantasia on the Theme of Guanglingsan" (1991) won the Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra Composition Competition. This piece is based on a traditional Taiwanese melody and features the erhu, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument. Chen's most famous work is "Fantasia on the Theme of Plum Blossom" (1993). This piece is based on a traditional Chinese melody and features the guzheng, a traditional Chinese plucked instrument. "Fantasia on the Theme of Plum Blossom" has been performed by orchestras around the world, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. In the late 1990s, Chen began to incorporate electronic music into her compositions. Her work "Fantasia on the Theme of Plum Blossom II" (1998) features electronic sounds and a live guzheng player. This piece was commissioned by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and has been performed in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States. Chen's more recent works include "Fantasia on the Theme of Sakura" (2005) and "Fantasia on the Theme of Wafting Fragrance" (2008). These pieces continue Chen's exploration of traditional Asian melodies and instruments. Chen has received numerous awards and honors for her work. In 1995, she was awarded the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2002, she was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship for Music Composition. Chen has also been a fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center and the MacDowell Colony. In addition to her work as a composer, Chen is also a professor of music at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has taught at the university since 1994 and has mentored many young composers. Chen's music has been praised for its unique blend of Eastern and Western musical traditions. Her use of traditional Taiwanese and Chinese instruments and melodies has helped to bring these musical traditions to a wider audience. Chen's work continues to inspire and influence composers around the world.

More....