Music Director/Conductor
Dr. Shy-Luen Chen is Music Director and conductor of the Washington Asian Philharmonic Orchestra (MD) and the conductor of the Hua Xia Chorus (MD). Additionally, he was the conductor of the String Orchestra of the Arlington Youth Orchestral Program (VA) from 2013 to 2015 and worked with the DC Youth Orchestra for nine years, serving as sectional coach for the top two orchestras, adjudicator for chamber music groups, and as cover conductor for various ensembles in the program.
Dr. Chen has an extensive conducting and performance resume. Over the years, he has made appearances as a guest conductor and worked with Kuopio Symphony Orchestra (Finland), Ruse Philharmonic Orchestra (Bulgaria), Academic Philharmonic Orchestra of Kharkov (Ukraine), Capella Symphony Orchestra, Saint Petersburg (Russia), Estonian National Youth Symphony Orchestra, Pärnu City Orchestra (Estonia), Saint Petersburg Festival Orchestra (Russia), Orchestra of Colours (Greece), Slovak State Philharmonic, Košice (Slovakia), Richmond Philharmonic (VA), Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, and Northern Neck Orchestra (VA). He also participated in Neeme Järvi’s Summer Academy in “David Oistrakh Festival” in Pärnu, Estonia, 2007 and 2008. Furthermore, he was previously a co-founder of the Maryland Sinfonietta, where he served as one of its music directors since 2004 to 2007. Among his collaborations, he has performed with Santiago Rodriguez, Wolfgang David, Wolfgang Panhofer, Selvadore Rähni, Clara Abou, and Silja Fontan. In 2006, Dr. Chen was invited and participated in the Dimitris Mitropoulos International Competition of Orchestral Conducting in Athens, Greece. He has also appeared in the International Prokofiev Competition in Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2008.
Born in Taiwan, Shy-Luen Chen began his musical training in piano and violin at an early age. He earned his bachelor degree in violin performance from the National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan. Later, he came to the United States and received his master’s degree in violin performance from the University of Maryland under Daniel Heifetz, and earned a second master’s degree from the Pennsylvania State University in orchestral conducting, where he studied with Pu-Qi Jiang and Geraldo Edelstein. Finally, he received his doctoral degree in orchestral conducting at the University of Maryland under James Ross in 2011. In addition, he studied with his mentor Jorma Panula in Europe, and took part in master classes and workshops with Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Otto-Werner Mueller, Osmo Vänskä, Leonard Slatkin, Emil de Cou, Marin Alsop, Gustav Meier, Michael Gilbert, and Juozas Domarkas.
Orchestra Manager
Kelly Hsu began her violin and piano studies at the age of six in Taiwan. Throughout her music career she has studied with many great violin teachers including Sylvia Shu-Tee Lee, Judith Silverman, Jody Gatwood, Eugene Phillips, Yong-Xin Fang, Burton Kaplan, and Adrian Semo. Kelly earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in violin performance from the National Sun Yat-Sen University after transferring from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. She was a member of the Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra from 1994-2000. In the spring of 2000, Kelly relocated back to her hometown Rockville and started a private violin studio, where her students are active participants of AYPO, MCYO, PVYO, WAPO, Maryland All-State Orchestra, and Montgomery All-County Orchestra.