Chen, Taichi

He is a violinist born in Taiwan who started learning the violin when he was 7 years old. When he was 14 he went to study in Tokyo, Japan at the Toho Gakuen of Music. In 1976 he was offered a fill scholarship to take further studies at Boston University and three years later earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Northern Illinois University.

In 1985 he became a member of the second violin section of the Minnesota Orchestra. He retired in 2022 after performing and touring with them as a chamber musician and in their educational activities for 37 years.

As a chamber musician he has performed at the Grand Teton Festival and Sommerfest in several chamber music concerts with artists that include Andreas Haeflinger, Alicia de Larrocha, Andrew Litton and Garrick Ohlsson along with several others. He has also played as a soloist in recitals.

Recordings he has performed on, outwith the Minnesota Orchestra, include Aida by Elton John and Tim Rice, Peace on Earth by The Kaneland Singers and The Moment Is Mine by Chante Moore. On screen he has appeared as a violinist in the 1980 short film The Music of Erich Zann.

In the field of musical education he has held master classes for students at the National Art School in Havana, Cuba during the tour there by the Minnesota Orchestra.

His wife, Robin, is also a violinist and they perform duets together as volunteers at their local cancer treatment centre. They donate produce to the PRISM food shelf from their farm and he is also a volunteer in the discharge department at North Memorial Hospital.

Sources:

Chen, Taichi

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