Born in Taipei, Taiwan. Yu-An is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate with Elinor Watson Bell Fellowship at University of Minnesota under Professor Alexander Braginsky. She was a teaching assistant from 2018 to 2021 at University of Minnesota Twin Cities, specializing in piano performance. She taught group piano classes and individual lessons to both non-music and music major students at the U. Yu-An is also very interested in classical ballet. She was a ballet accompanist at Saint Paul Ballet and Saint Paul Conservatory of Performing Arts from 2019-2021.

She completed Master of Music degree in 2016 and Graduate Performance Diploma in 2017 at Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, studying with Benjamin Pasternack. During her piano career in Peabody, she was awarded Frances M. Wentz Turner Prize in Piano for musicality.

She took one year off between 2017-18 to teach in China, Shanghai, and Soochow. She maintained a thriving private studio and regularly led piano workshops at two different music academies, especially for young students. Her ultimate goal in teaching is to guide every student on the journey toward a lifelong love of playing the piano and enjoying the music.

Ms. Chen also was a winner of Japanese Classical Music Competition in Tokyo, Miami Music Festival Concerto Competition, and an honorable mention at University of Minnesota Concerto Competition and Elain Liu Memorial Scholarship Academic Award in Saint Paul.

Birthday: April 27th

Schools Attended: University of Minnesota, Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, Soochow University in Taipei

Instruments You Teach: Piano, Music Theory, Flute

Favorite Music to Perform: any music related to the piano

Something most people don’t know about you: I love cleaning and doing laundry!

Other hobbies & interests: watching detective movies and running with sweat!

Where you were born & grew up: Taipei, Taiwan

Practice Tips: Be concentrated on each little section and be patient to build up like doing puzzles.

Recording your practice and listening to it in front of the score, plus with good headphones.