Biography
“Among the composers of Asian descent living in the U.S.A., Shih-Hui Chen is most successful in balancing the very refined spectral traditions of the East with the polyphonic practice of Western art music. In a seamless narrative, her beautiful music, always highly inventive and expressive, is as immediately appealing as it is demanding and memorable.” — 2007 Goddard Lieberson Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Recipient of the 2023 Walter Hinrichsen Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Taiwanese American composer Shih-Hui Chen is fascinated by the narratives at the intersection of identity, culture, and tradition. In her work, she seeks to bridge boundaries between music and society, between the music of different cultures, and between music and other art forms.
Chen studied indigenous and Nanguan music in Taiwan to broaden her understanding of her heritage, resulting in pieces like Withholding the Umbrella and Returning Souls. Her recent works include Kimchi, Pickles, and Wine, a cross-genre theatrical piece exploring food preservation as a cultural connector; or/and, a chamber opera addressing personal and cultural identity; and sisila ila ila: saying goodbye, a shadow puppet viola concerto focused on cultural and environmental conservation. Chen also founded 21C: Classical, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Asian Music, a festival fostering exchange between Asia and the U.S.
Shih-Hui Chen has received recognition from prestigious institutions, including the American Academy in Rome, the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Harvard/Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, the Koussevitzky Foundation, the Barlow Endowment, the Fromm Foundation, Chamber Music America, Meet the Composer and the Fulbright Scholar Program. Shih-Hui Chen serves on the Performing Arts and Culture Committee at the Asia Society Texas Center and teaches at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Her collaborations include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony, and National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra.
