​Thomas Chun-yu Chen​

Thomas Chun-yu Chen

Maestro Thomas Chun-yu Chen is an internationally renowned conductor, violinist, composer, and stringed instrument maker and designer. A native of Taiwan, Mr. Chen has served as a member of the presidential string quartet, resident composer, and orchestra conductor for the ministry of Defense Symphony Orchestra in Taiwan. Maestro Chen has been artistic director in several music festivals, including the Eureka Springs CICA summer music festival in Eureka Springs Arkansas, the Dallas CICA international summer music festival in Dallas, Texas, and the Zhuhai chamber music festival in China. Chen also served as faculty, orchestra conductor and international competition jury member for Cremona international academy and competition in Italy. Maestro Chen is one of jury members of Leopold Auer international competition in St. Petersburg Russia.

 

As orchestra conductor, violinist, chamber music performer, and composer, Chen performed and collaborated with many top symphonic performers in the world, including Sara Sant' Ambrogio, Andrey Ponochevny, Alexander Gilman, Lech Antonio Uszynski, Gregory Maytan, Erika Nickrenz, Susie Park, Dominika Zamara, Aisha syed Castro, Arthur Hart, Alla Aranovskaya the St. Petersburg String Quartet, the Eroica Trio and many more. Maestro Chen has  concluded many successful seasons of CICA Summer Music Festival consisting of 7 symphonic concerts, 12 extraordinary artists' concert series', 18 chamber music concerts and numerous other solo recitals performed by both students and professionals.

 

Chen has a great passion for educating young children by providing and creating successful and inspirational. He is a violin pedagogue who has conducted research projects and various teaching methods. His research and teaching aspects include the Suzuki method which provides for young children's talent education. Chen is a permanent member of SAA (Suzuki association of America), and he served as the institute director of CICA Eureka Springs Suzuki institute in Eureka Springs Arkansas. Chen continues to give master classes and concerts through different countries in Asia and America. He has funded music school programs in different areas of the world, and he is currently serving as artistic director of "PIYO international music and arts program" in Zhuhai and Guangzhou China.
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As well as performer and as educator, Chen is a world renowned, decorated violin-maker and stringed instrument designer, Chen has received First Prize in String Quartet making and Tone Prizes in Violin and Viola makings from the VMAAI International Violin-making Competition. Maestro Chen, who has led research on violin making methodology for decades, is known for his development of a unique "crystallized" violin varnishing methodology that achieves extraordinary clarity, and tone. Maestro Chen served as a competition judge for the "Eureka Springs Violin Makers Conference" held in Eureka Springs, Arkansas and the "Dallas International Antonio Stradivari Violin Makers Conference" held in Dallas, Texas which featured over 200 string instrument exhibitions. Chen's organization has collaborated with Taiwan Chi-mei museum, Academia Cremonensis in Cremona Italy, and many violin makers from different countries.