Annie Chen is a versatile musician and educator, performing and teaching music of all styles. With a career ranging from baroque music to premiering pieces written for her, Annie has established herself as a musician and educator across Canada and the United States. Born and raised in Iowa City, Annie discovered a passion for music by learning piano from her mother. She later studied with Rene Lecuona and Marcelina Turcanu, winning first place at Piano Music Teachers Association several years in a row. In addition to piano, Annie studied violin with Dawn Marino Ohmes in Iowa City for over ten years before pursuing a violin performance degree at the Eastman School of Music. She studied with mentors including Federico Agostini, Juliana Athayde, Robin Scott, Yoojin Jang, and Christel Thielmann.
Annie performed in a variety of ensembles ranging from baroque to new music in both chamber and orchestral settings. She was featured in the Boston Early Music Festival with Eastman Collegium, and performed Prokofiev Quartet No. 1 at Eastman’s Honors Chambers Concerts. Her love and interest in early music studies blossomed as a Haydn Fellow where she performed 6 concerts as a part of a concert series with the Smithsonian, studied manuscripts at the Library of Congress, and played century old instruments including Stradivarius and Amatis. Annie also enjoyed performing new music, premiering “Joyful Moments in Adversity” by Yuanning Gao and performed “Cradle,” with soloist Alyssa Pyper, directed by Alarm Will Sound’s Alan Pierson. She has also performed in masterclasses for Yehonatan Berick, Guillaume Sutre, Mark Kaplan, and Marie Berard. Annie maintains a busy performance and teaching schedule at local community events, libraries, senior homes, parks, and school events. Her partnerships include Tongyan Chinese School, Tonal Art Music Center, Jersey City Families, and Hoboken Families.
In addition to performing, Annie is deeply committed to music education, having guided her violin students to winning awards, competitions, and performing in Carnegie Hall. Annie has supported and led students to achieve their goals in orchestra, All State ensembles, and achieving high marks in Royal Music Academy exams. Her lessons emphasize the importance of creating a beautiful sound, drawing a narrative, and inspiring creativity. Annie enjoys connecting with her students by helping them understand and explore music of all styles.
As an educator, Annie currently teaches students privately and volunteers as a piano and violin instructor at the Covenant House in Newark, New Jersey. Her students performed at the Covenant House Gala “Night of Broadway Stars” at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center where they raised over $1.2 million dollars that night. Volunteering has always been an important part of her life - serving over 400 hours at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and bringing free music to senior homes and hospitals. Committed to lifelong learning, Annie was selected to be a participant in Carnegie Hall’s 2024-2025 Educator’s Workshop to learn from music educators and artists about topics regarding classroom pedagogy, musical creativity, and artistic leadership.
