Born in Taiwan, Shih-Hui Chen has lived in the United States since 1982. Since completing her doctorate degree at Boston University, Chen has received significant recognition for her work including a Koussevitzky Music Foundation Commission, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Chamber Music America commission, and an American Academy in Rome Prize. Her compositions have been performed widely throughout the United States and abroad, including Korea, China, Japan, England, Germany, and Italy. Chen’s work has also been the subject of analysis by many scholars, principally German ethnomusicologist Barbara Mittler, a specialist in contemporary Chinese music that analyzed Chen’s work for the Asian Music Journal CHIME, and also wrote Chen’s biographical entry in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
Seeking a deeper understanding of her native culture and music, Chen recently spent two years in Taiwan studying indigenous and Nanguan music. In addition, she takes personal pride and satisfaction in promoting Taiwanese culture by organizing events beyond the confines of the concert hall. In 2013, she launched the U.S. tour for Returning Souls, a documentary film and concert music (in collaboration with anthropological filmmaker Taili Hu) based on the music and culture of indigenous Taiwanese tribes. Chen is currently organizing the 2015 Common practice 21C: Classical, Contemporary, and Cross-Culture Music, bringing the Little Giant Chinese Orchestra from Taipei and composers from Taiwan, China, and Southeast Asia to present a three-day festival at Rice University and Asia Society Texas Center. This festival aims to present traditional and newly composed music by Asian and Western composers for a mixed ensemble of traditional Chinese and Western instruments and to educate young musicians through readings and workshops.
