The Richmond Symphony Appoints Chia-Hsuan Lin as Associate Conductor

The Richmond Symphony and Music Director Steven Smith are pleased to announce the appointment of Chia-Hsuan Lin as Associate Conductor. Ms. Lin began her first season as Assistant Conductor with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic in fall 2014, and recently conducted the Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra as one of three young talents chosen for the Emerging Conductor Program. She was also a semi-finalist in the 2013 Jeunesses Musicales International Conducting Competition.

"I am delighted that Chia-Hsuan Lin is coming to the Richmond Symphony. Her love of music and joy of bringing music to many new listeners young and old fits beautifully with our continuing mission of performing for many different audiences. I look forward to welcoming and introducing her to our community," said Music Director, Steven Smith.

In her role as Associate Conductor, Ms. Lin will work with Steven Smith to prepare and conduct various concerts throughout the season beginning in January 2016. Current Associate Conductor Keitaro Harada recently began his new role as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, but will continue to serve out the remainder of his contract with the Richmond Symphony with a reduced schedule through May 2016.

Richmond Symphony Executive Director David Fisk comments: "We are delighted to welcome Chia-Hsuan Lin to the Richmond Symphony as our new Associate Conductor and holder of the Jack and Mary Ann Frable Chair, in succession to Kei Harada. With Steven Smith recently renewed as Music Director and Erin Freeman as Chorus Director, we have a very fine artistic leadership team in place as we chart our course toward and beyond the Richmond Symphony's 60th Anniversary in 2017/2018. Chia-Hsuan is joining us in a particularly exciting season, with

the launch of the Symphony's Big Tent community festivals, our new Casual Fridays series and Rush Hour at Hardywood concerts, and our expanded Union Bank & Trust LolliPops series. We look forward to benefitting from what she will contribute to the Symphony's mission in service to the City and the wider Richmond region."

In 2014, Lin conducted a performance of Mark Adamo's Little Women at Northwestern University, and led the 2012 Mainstage Opera production of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the University of Cincinnati. In 2011, she conducted the Academy of Taiwan Strings and Taipei Philharmonic Chorus in a lecture series by Bach specialist Helmuth Rilling, and traveled to Italy to serve as Assistant Conductor of Opera at the CCM Spoleto Music Festival.

Lin looks forward to starting the new position and says: "Richmond has a long established cultural heritage. The Richmond Symphony is a wonderful microcosm epitomizing the rich culture of this beautiful city. I am honored to join the Richmond Symphony family and this vibrant community, to work with Maestro Smith and such talented musicians."

Ms. Lin received her undergraduate degree in percussion and graduate degree in conducting from National Taiwan Normal University. She earned a graduate degree at the College- Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati, and in 2012, received the Foreign Study Award for Music from the Taiwan Education Bureau to begin her doctoral degree with Victor Yampolsky at Northwestern University.

About Chia-Hsuan Lin

Lauded for her clarity and elegance on the podium, Ms. Lin has shared her talents in many diverse musical settings throughout the world. Ms. Lin began her first season as assistant conductor with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic in 2014. Within a year, she had directed of 39 performances with the orchestra for the north Indiana community. Earlier in 2014, she conducted the Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra as one of three young talents chosen for the Emerging Conductor Program, and was chosen a semi-finalist in the 2013 Jeunesses Musicales

International Conducting Competition in Bucharest, Romania. Ms. Lin's versatility extends from chamber music and symphonic orchestral repertory to opera and theatre works. In 2014 she conducted a performance of Mark Adamo's Little Women at Northwestern University and previously led the 2012 Mainstage Opera production of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the College- Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati. She served as music director of the University of Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and later participated in the 2012 Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in California. In celebration of the Taiwanese premiere of J. S.

Bach's Mattha?us-Passion, Ms. Lin returned to Taipei in 2011 to conduct the Academy of Taiwan Strings and Taipei Philharmonic Chorus in a lecture series by Bach specialist Helmuth
Rilling. The summer of 2011 took her to Italy where she served as assistant conductor of opera at the CCM Spoleto Music Festival.

Ms. Lin received her first musical training as a pianist in Taiwan at age three. At age nine she began studies as a percussionist and later performed with the renowned Taipei Percussion Group from 2003 to 2010. Ms. Lin received her undergraduate degree in percussion and her graduate degree in conducting from the National Taiwan Normal University, where she studied with Apo Hsu. Under the tutelage of Mark Gibson, she earned a graduate degree at the College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati. In 2012 Ms. Lin received the Foreign Study Award for Music from the Taiwan Education Bureau to begin doctoral studies with Victor Yampolsky at Northwestern University.

Ms. Lin has furthered her education through masterclasses and workshops, including sessions with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and the Romanian Royal Camerata, as well as with conductors Gu?nther Herbig, Jorma Panula, Imre Pallo?, Steven Smith, Helmuth Rilling, Ga?bor Hollerung, Mei-Ann Chen, Harold Farberman, Markand Thakar, Israel Yinon, and Douglas Bostock.

Photo credit: AikKhai Pung

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