Musician Bio

Taiwanese violist Yi-Chia Chen joins the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for the 2026–2027 season. She is a graduate from the Colburn School, where she studied with Tatjana Masurenko and earned her Artist Diploma. Prior to joining the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Chen held orchestral positions including guest principal violist of the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, third chair of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and principal violist of the New England Conservatory Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also been invited to participate in the Tanglewood Music Festival on multiple occasions.

Chen has performed under the direction of distinguished conductors including Andris Nelsons, Susanna Mälkki, Mei-Ann Chen, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, among others. She has additionally worked with acclaimed violists including Dimitri Murrath, William Coleman, Roberto Díaz, Tatjana Masurenko, and more.

Chen began studying the viola at the age of seven. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from National Taiwan Normal University, where she studied with Jui-Se Yang, and a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory, where she studied with Mai Motobuchi. During her time at NEC, she also participated in the Community Fellowship program, engaging in community-based music initiatives.