He is a violinist born in Ithaca, New York to a family where his brother, Frederic is a concert pianist. He started studying the violin when he was 6 years old and went on to attend Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music where he was a Starling scholar and earned a fellowship, a performance certificate and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees with high distinction.
Performing in competitions he has been a winner at the National Arts and Letter Competition and the Irving M. Klein International String Competition.
He became a first violin with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1996 and has played in many concert performances with them. He also performs as a chamber musician, debuting at the Kennedy Center in 1993 and has worked with the Pro Musica Ensemble, Cube Ensemble and on the CSO Chamber Music Series as a member of the Corinah Duo with his wife Inah.
Playing as a soloist he has performed with the Washington and Indianapolis chamber symphonies. He has also performed at many national and international musical festivals, with Ensemble Villa Musica in Germany.
As a recording musician he has been heard on Brahms: Violin Concerto/Sonata No. 3 and Prokofiev/Stravinsky: Lieutenant Kije/Songs of the Nightingale with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
In the field of musical education he has been on the faculty of Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and the Wheaton Conservatory of Music. For over 30 years he has taught at his own studio.
Sources:
- https://cso.org/about/performers/chicago-symphony-orchestra/violins
- https://www.roosevelt.edu/academics/faculty/profile?ID=cchiu04
- https://www.journal-topics.com/events/united-states/illinois/northfield/events/cornelius-inah-chiu-piano-violin-duo/
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/4003037-Cornelius-Chiu
- https://raru.co.za/music/4557383-prokofiev-stravinsky-reiner-chicago-sym-orch-lieutenant-kije-songs-of-the-nightingale-super-audio