BIOGRAPHY
Maggie Chen started the piano at the age of 5, and the cello at the age of 8. She was a teaching assistant for visually impaired musicians while studying at the National Taiwan Academy of Arts from 1992-1995. At the age of 19, Maggie came to the United States as a scholarship student at Roosevelt University, where she studied with Kim Scholes, Natalia Khoma, Richard Hirschl, Stephen Balderston, and Barbara Haffner. Maggie holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from Roosevelt University. In 2000, she joined the Midwest School of Music faculty for 17 years as a Cello and Piano instructor, and currently owns her private music studio in Oak Brook, Illinois.
PERSONAL LIFE
Maggie is a devoted Christian, wife, and mother of two wonderful children. She loves spending time with her family, rolling eyeballs at her college son's 'funny' jokes, and admiring her daughter's creativity of Lego buildings and enthusiastically serving her heart at children's ministry in Willow Creek Community Church. Her favorite things to do are sipping coffee in the sunroom, walking in her rose garden, painting vintage furniture, making new recipes, and inviting friends over for heartwarming conversations. One thing that moves her always is to see her students, including her own children, becoming mature with a passion for music, growing in perseverance through learning the instrument, and seeking comfort by making music when they feel down in life. In her class, Maggie teaches the art of performance through her years of experience, encouraging students to find themselves through music and express it to the audience. Many of her student's parents become long-term family friends and she is very thankful for that! Maggie currently lives in Oak Brook, Illinois with her husband, Yingchun, has two kids Isaac and Gabriella and 1 dog, Tenor who follows her around the house like a shadow.
EDUCATION
Chicago College of Performing Arts,
Roosevelt University
Master of Music, Performance in Cello, 2001
Bachelor of Music, Performance in Cello, 2000
AWARDS / HONORS
Steinway and Sons Educational Partner, 2017 - present
College Performance Award, 1996-2001
Foundation for Artistic and Musical Excellence, USA, 2000
Rome Festival, Italy, 1998
International School for Musical Arts, Canada, 1997
Algonquin International Music Institute, Canada, 1996
MASTER CLASSES
Manhattan String Quartet, 1998
John Sharp, 2000-01