Conductor Mei-Ann Chen Announced As First Artistic Partner Of Houston's Trailblazing River Oaks Chamber Orchestra Beginning 2019-2020 Season

The dynamic, Texas-based River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) announced today that American-Taiwanese conductor Mei-Ann Chen has been appointed the organization's first ever Artistic Partner beginning in 2019-2020, the orchestra's 15th season. She will conduct the season opener on September 27 and 28, 2019.

As Artistic Partner, Ms. Chen will lead a performance each season of the 40-piece chamber orchestra's In Concert series and will work closely as a creative and thought partner in collaboration with Founder and Artistic Director Alecia Lawyer.

Ms. Lawyer stated, "Since ROCO is all about relationships, there is nothing that compares to finding kismet with a conductor who is an artistic innovator, willing to take risks and explore new territory in our fantastic musical field."

Ms. Chen said, "ROCO is a unique ensemble, one-of-a-kind - its friendly and collaborative atmosphere makes the high-level music making the most joyful experience for all involved. I am honored to be the first Artistic Partner and very much look forward to being part of ROCO officially!"

A popular guest conductor on both national and international stages, Ms. Chen is Music Director of the MacArthur Award-winning Chicago Sinfonietta, a post she has held since 2011, and Artistic Director & Conductor for the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Summer Festival since 2016. She was recently appointed Principal Guest Conductor of Austria's 17-year-old recreation-Grosses Orchester Graz. A frequent guest conductor with River Oaks Chamber Orchestra since 2011, Ms. Chen led ROCO's November 2018 acclaimed debut recording "Visions Take Flight", which features the world premiere recordings of five of the orchestra's commissioned works.

Celebrated for her commitment to diversity and innovation, and renowned for her dynamic, passionate conducting style, Ms. Chen is acclaimed for infusing orchestras with energy, enthusiasm and high-level music-making, galvanizing audiences and communities alike. Highly regarded as a compelling communicator and an innovative leader both on and off the podium, and a sought-after guest conductor, she continues to expand her relationships with orchestras worldwide.

North American guesting credits include appearances with the Symphony Orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, Fort Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, National, Nashville, Oregon, Pacific, River Oaks Chamber, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver, to name a few. Overseas guesting credits include the symphonies of BBC Scottish, Denmark's National, Aalborg, Aarhus, and Odense, Sweden's Gavle, Gothenburg, Helsingborg, Malmo, and Norrkoping, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra at the Concertgebouw, Norwegian Radio and Trondheim Symphony, Finland's Tampere Philharmonic, Austria's recreation-Grosses Orchester Graz, Germany's Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe, Brazil's Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP), Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Mexico, and Taiwan Philharmonic, National Taiwan and Taipei Symphony Orchestras. Her U.S. summer music festival credits include Aspen, Grant Park, Grand Teton, Ravinia, Texas, and Wintergreen.

Recent engagement highlights include debuts and return engagements with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Gala program with Lang Lang), San Francisco Symphony, and Sweden's Malmo Symphony Orchestra, Denmark's Copenhagen Philharmonic (7-city tour), Norway's Oslo Philharmonic, Canada's Symphony Nova Scotia and Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Asheville Symphony, Switzerland's Sinfonieorchester Basel, Vienna's Tonkunstler-Orchester at Grafenegg Festival, and National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra's debut US Tour, including its debut as the first Taiwanese orchestra at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Upcoming engagements include Turkey's Bilkent Senfoni Orkestrasi, the Oslo Philharmonic, Malmo Symphony Orchestra, a return (in April 2019) to recreation-Grosses Orchester Graz and Chicago Sinfonietta and Knoxville Symphony.

Recognized as someone who has redefined the orchestra experience, Ms. Chen's honors and awards include being named one of the 2015 Top 30 Influencers by Musical America, (the bible of the performing arts industry); a 2012 Helen M. Thompson Award from the League of American Orchestras; Winner, the 2007 Taki Concordia Fellowship; and First Prize Winner, the prestigious Malko Competition in 2005. Ms. Chen is the recipient of several ASCAP awards for innovative programming during her tenure as the Music Director of Chicago Sinfonietta and Portland Youth Philharmonic in Oregon (2002 - 2007). Ms. Chen is also Conductor Laureate of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, having served as Music Director from 2010 to 2016.

Born in Taiwan, Mei-Ann Chen came to the United States to study violin in 1989 and became the first student in New England Conservatory's history to receive master's degrees simultaneously in both violin and conducting. She later studied with Kenneth Kiesler at the University of Michigan, where she earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting. Ms. Chen participated in the National Conductor Preview, National Conducting Institute, Aspen American Academy of Conducting, and Pierre Monteux School.

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