Yi-Hsien Chen is a Taiwanese composer. He has received degrees from Taipei National University of the Arts and National Taiwan Normal University. In 2016, he began to pursue Ph.D. with major in music theory and composition at UC San Diego where he studied with Katharina Rosenberger and Lei Liang who is his advisor and chair committee. He was awarded with full scholarship from UC San Diego for five years and has received the Ph.D. degree in 2021. He has collaborated with artists including Mivos Quartet, Palimpsest ensemble, Mark Dresser’s Bass Ensemble, National Taiwan Symphonic Orchestra, C-Camerata, Baroque Camerata, etc. 

Chen’s works has been deeply inspired by the art of calligraphy, Taiwanese traditional music, and soundscape. He experiments with these ideas in a wide variety of music context, such as works for acoustic instruments, electroacoustic music, interactive music. Under the influence of calligraphy, Chen observes that the single calligraphic line is based on the complicated interaction between ink flow, hand gesture, and the direction of brushstroke, which he finds the musical equivalence in the sound, such as textural flow, contour, and its spatial distribution. With this observation, he proposes a compositional technique, called “multi-dimensionality of a line,” to create a sonic calligraphy with his aural imagination based on careful organization of timbral material, textural layers, and rhythmic pulsation in sound. The works below are based on the inspiration of calligraphy: “Breathing in Memory” for string quartet premiered by Mivos Quartet in June in Buffalo, “Sparking” for twelve instruments commissioned by Palimpsest Ensemble, and “Hearing Aural Landscape” commissioned by C-Camerata. 

Chen’s music is described by the Copland House E-Letter as: “Yi-hsien’s music speaks with an unusual and unique language”, and in the critics from Performing Arts Redefined (PAR) as a “New Tonality” from the sounds of Avan Garde. Chen also likes to explore Taiwanese traditional music, such as Aboriginal, Nanguan, and Beiguan music, to study the heterophonic texture. He finds that the musical lines in heterophonic texture are very similar to that of calligraphic art, which is an intricate line organized by many instrumental colors and multiple similar melodic flow. This is where he finds his compositional practice, “multi-dimensionality of a line,” existed in different musical cultures. His orchestral work “Maci Lumah,” – received award from NTSO composition competition – attempts to combine the ancient tunes of Taiwanese aboriginal music of Bunun and Taiya with novel techniques to create a new heterophonic texture. 

From 2018 to 2021, Chen participated the interdisciplinary project led by composer Lei Liang to study the soundscape of ocean with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. With this experience, Chen received two-year grant from Taiwan Ministry of Education to conduct the research project, called “Composing with Soundscapes,” which allowed him to discover his new compositional direction – electroacoustic and interactive music. 

In his electroacoustic works, Chen is interested in combining the recording of soundscapes with the technique of spatialization to free the sounds from the fixed positions. In this way, Chen creates an immersive and virtual environment where audience can perceive the environment from his sonic worlds. In 2022, Chen participated the workshop held by Taiwan C-Lab and IRCAM to develop an immersive work, “Intangible Waves,” for electronics, violins, and percussion, in the space with 49 speakers. In 2023, he further challenged himself by presenting a work combining with acoustic instruments and real-time interactive video. 

In 2023, Chen received the grant from National Science and Technology Council to conduct the research project focusing on the topic of soundscape and interactive music. In this project, he combines the “millimeter wave sensor device” with Max/MSP to develop a novel interactive music system, which allows people to use their bodies to interact with the sounds through multiple speaker configuration. At this stage, Chen expects to expand his compositional practice of “multi-dimensionality of a line” by collaborating with more diverse medium, such as the technique of spatialization and interactive device.