30 Facts About Mei-Ann Chen

Mei-Ann Chen is currently music director of the Chicago Sinfonietta and conductor laureate of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

However, Mei-Ann Chen's parents discouraged her from pursuing conducting as they felt it would be a difficult career path for a woman.

Mei-Ann Chen was intrigued with the concept of making elaborate noise, particularly without the use of an instrument.

Mei-Ann Chen would observe her conductor closely and began to learn how to conduct on her own.

Mei-Ann Chen collected batons, believing that "different pieces needed different kinds of batons".

Mei-Ann Chen left Kaohsiung to study music in Taipei, where she lived with her aunt and served as assistant conductor of her school's chorus.

In 1989, Mei-Ann Chen attended a concert in Taipei by the American Youth Orchestra, a touring ensemble of Boston's New England Conservatory.

Mei-Ann Chen's opportunity came the next morning when she played for conductor Benjamin Zander in a closed basement hotel bar and was offered a scholarship immediately.

Mei-Ann Chen performed with the American Youth Orchestra before being invited to attend the Walnut Hill School, a preparatory school linked to the New England Conservatory, two months later at age sixteen.

Mei-Ann Chen 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".

Mei-Ann Chen continued her undergraduate and graduate work at the Conservatory.

Speaker taught Mei-Ann Chen, who received violin instruction from James Buswell and Eric Rosenblith as well as conducting supervision from Frank Battisti and Richard Hoenich.

Mei-Ann Chen became the first person to graduate from the New England Conservatory with a double master's degree 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, Mei-Ann Chen returned to the New England Conservatory to guest conduct the Philharmonia.

Mei-Ann Chen dedicated the concert to the late Marylou Speaker Churchill, and thanked Benjamin Zander and dean emeritus Mark Churchill for "making her career possible".

Mei-Ann Chen remained in Boston for nine years until she attended the University of Michigan to obtain a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting.

In 2001, Mei-Ann Chen was the youngest finalist in the Maazel-Vilar Conductor's Competition in Tokyo.

Mei-Ann Chen received a fellowship to study at the Aspen Music Festival and School with David Zinman.

Mei-Ann Chen became the Portland Youth Philharmonic's 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 and Portland Opera.

Mei-Ann Chen conducted both the Philharmonic ensemble as well as the Conservatory Orchestra.

Mei-Ann Chen won the Taki Concordia Fellowship in 2007, an award established by Baltimore Symphony Orchestra music director Marin Alsop to support "promising" female conductors.

Mei-Ann Chen was presented the Sunburst Award from Young Audiences for her contribution to music education and was named "Educator of the Week" by KKCW.

One musician in the orchestra felt that Mei-Ann Chen was "kind of formal" during rehearsal but felt "like a big sister" once practice ended.

Mei-Ann 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 Mei-Ann Chen's attitude and felt that her lack of ego was a "rare quality in top symphony performers".

Mei-Ann Chen turned down a position with the Oregon Symphony to continue work at PYP, later recalling:.

Mei-Ann Chen served as the Los Angeles Philharmonic's cover conductor during her tenure with PYP.

Mei-Ann Chen concluded her tenure with the orchestra in 2016, and now has the title of conductor laureate of the orchestra.

Mei-Ann Chen became music director of the Chicago Sinfonietta on 1 July 2011, with an initial contract of 4 years.

Mei-Ann Chen served as Artistic Director and Conductor for the 2016 National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Summer Festival.