Taiwanese-American violist Che-Yen Chen has established himself as a prominent recitalist, chamber and orchestral musician.  Currently the violist of the Formosa Quartet, the Myriad Trio and Camera Lucida, Chen is also the principal violist of the San Diego Symphony and the Mainly Mozart Festival.  He maintains a highly active career as both a performer and educator.

Noted by the Strad Magazine as a musician whose "tonal distinction and essential musicality produced an auspicious impression," Chen has been the recipient of international acclaim, winning First Prize at the 2003 Primrose International Viola Competition and the "President Prize" of the 2003 Lionel Tertis Viola Competition.  A founding member of the Formosa Quartet, they have also won the First Prize and the Amadeus Prize at the Tenth London International String Quartet Competition.

Chen is a former member of the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society Two, and has toured with Musicians From Marlboro following several seasons of his participation at the Marlboro Music Festival.  His many festival appearances include performances with La Jolla Summerfest, Kingston Chamber Music Festival, Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival,  and Taiwan Connection among numerous others.  He has also appeared as guest principal violist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

A native of Taipei, Chen is a four-time winner of the National Viola Competition in Taiwan.   He came to the U.S. in his teens to matriculate at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School, studying with such luminaries as Michael Tree, Joseph de Pasquale, Karen Tuttle and Paul Neubauer.  He has since taught and performed at Interlochen, Mimir Chamber Music Festival, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and has also served on the jury of the 13th Primrose International Viola Competition in 2011.  Chen has served on faculties of McGill University, University of California San Diego, San Diego State University,  Indiana University South Bend, and currently at California State University Fullerton.  He will join the viola faculty of the USC Thornton School of Music in 2012.

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