Spotlight: Wei-Chen Lin to Perform at Winter Concert

Wei-Chen Lin
Marimba

Dr Wei-Chen Lin is a respected marimba performer, and chamber, contemporary, and orchestral musician. Born in 1982 in Tainan City, Taiwan, Wei-Chen is currently based in Boston, MA. Wei-Chen began to study piano at age of five and percussion at age of twelve. Wei-Chen’s recent marimba repertoire includes music of J.S. Bach, Camille Saint-Saens, Francesco Tárrega, and Lyle Mays. His passion for new music led him to form Hai-Dao Contemporary Ensemble in 2014 which has performed works of Kenji Sakai and Chang Shiuan.

Wei-Chen received his Bachelor of Music Degree from Taipei National University of Arts. He moved to the United States in 2006. He received his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from Boston University. Currently, Wei-Chen is pursuing the Artist Diploma degree as a marimba major at The Boston Conservatory under the guidance of world-famous marimbist Nancy Zeltsman.

Wei-Chen won First Prize at the 2008 Classical Marimba League International Marimba Artist Competition, and First Prize at the 2007 PAS International Percussion Competition in Fermo, Italy. Other awards include: the Laureate of The First Classical Music International Internet-Festival 2013 in Moscow Russia, the winner of 2013 Taiwan NTCH Young Star Series, Silver Medal of 2012 Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Concerto Competition, Third Prize of 2012 Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, Second Prize of the 2007 PASIC Marimba Solo Competition, and the winner of 2007 Boston University Soloists’ Competition. Wei-Chen received the Boston University Honors Award two times in 2008 and 2013. In 2014, Wei-Chen was awarded the lifelong membership of the National Music Honor Society Pi Kappa Lumbda.

As an active soloist, Wei-Chen has appeared as concerto soloist with the Houston Symphony (performing “Fantasy on Japanese Wood Prints, Op.211" by Alan Hovhaness), Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band (performing "Prism Rhapsody" by Keiko Abe), and with Boston University Symphony Orchestra (performing "Prism Rhapsody" by Keiko Abe). Wei-Chen has given concerts and masterclasses in Taiwan, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy, Thailand, Russia, and United States. Wei-Chen was also a jury member of the Taiwan Marimba Competition (2009, 2011), Taipei World Percussion Championship (2013, 2014, 2015), and 2015 Australian Marimba Competition.

Wei-Chen was a member of Taipei Percussion from 2002 to 2006, performing more than 200 concerts throughout Taiwan and Asia. His orchestral appearances include concerts with the Taiwan Philharmonic, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, ALEA III, Boston Civic Symphony, and The Macao Orchestra. He received a Tanglewood Music Center fellowship in 2008. Wei-Chen has played orchestral under the baton of James Levine, Sir Andrew Davis, Bernard Haitink, Oliver Knussen, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and André Previn. From 2010 to 2011, Wei-Chen served as the first Timpanist of National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra in the Orchestra's 68-year orchestra history.

Of his upcoming performance with the Concord Band, Wei-Chen said, "... I feel very excited about the concert in March.  I just played the [Concerto for Marimba & Wind Ensemble] in two performances in Taiwan in front of the composer, Dr. Chung!  He loves my interpretation, so I'm assuming the concert in March will be even better!"

[source: http://www.weichenlin.com/biography.html]