Chicago Symphony Appoints Beatrice Chen to its Viola Section

After recently completing her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music with Hsin-Yun Huang, violist Beatrice Chen has been named the newest member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's viola section.

Chen was the first-prize winner of the 2018 Johansen International Competition for Young String Players and was also a laureate of the Albert M. Greenfield Competition, the DePaul Concerto Festival, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Concerto Competition, and the American Protege International Concerto Competition.

Featured in the 2020 HearNOW Gala of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chen has also been featured as a soloist with the Vicente Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Oistrakh Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonietta DuPage, and Capital City Symphony.

Prior to studying at Curtis, she was the principal violist of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras for five years — having spent summers at Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival and Institute and Aspen Music Festival and School

Alongside her parents, CSO concertmaster Robert Chen and Laura Park Chen, and brother Noah Chen, she is a member of the Chen String Quartet. The family group was originally formed for outreach concerts at local Chicago hospitals and retirement homes. Over the course of the pandemic, however, they have given over 70 virtual performances, including those for organizations such as WFMT and the Constellations Chamber Music Series.

You can hear a recording of Chen performing works by Paul Hindemith and Rebecca Clarke with pianist Kuang-Hao Huang below.