HELLO!
Hello, I'm so glad you're here. I'm Stephanie! My friends call me Steph, my students call me Ms. Chen/ Ms. Stephanie, and my family calls me 'meimei' ("妹妹", or little sister). I am a cellist and teacher in the Central Valley, CA. I was born in Los Angeles but spent my entire childhood in Taipei, Taiwan. I attended the Taipei American School, came to the states for college at the Eastman School of Music and then pursued my Master's degree in cello performance at the New England Conservatory in Boston. My hobbies include cooking, baking, making handmade cards, anything arts and crafts, listening to podcasts, and exercising! Currently I reside in Manteca, CA with my husband, Alan and dog, Musette (or Mooosie)!
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Professional Biography (below)
Professional Biography --
A native of Taipei, Taiwan, Stephanie Chen is a cellist, educator, and performer currently based in California’s Central Valley. Stephanie began studying piano and cello at the age of four under the guidance of her mother, a pianist and musicologist, and later Professor Yi-Ching Cheng. She made her solo debut at 15 with the Taipei Century Symphony Orchestra at Taiwan’s National Concert Hall. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory, where she studied under David Ying and Yeesun Kim.
An active performer, Stephanie has appeared regularly with the Stockton Symphony, Modesto Symphony Orchestra, Modesto Opera, Zion Chamber Orchestra, and Grammy-nominated Ensemble Palaver Strings, among others. Her performances have taken her to major stages including Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Taipei’s National Concert Hall, Vienna’s Musikverein, Graz’s Stefaniensaal, and more. She has also been featured on television broadcasts including Great Day Houston and Good Day Sacramento. As a concerto soloist, she has performed works by Elgar, Saint-Saëns, Boëllmann, Popper, and Monti. She has played in masterclasses for renowned artists such as Mischa Maisky, Brinton Smith, Jeffrey Zeigler, Brentano String Quartet, and more.
Stephanie is a dedicated educator with over a decade of experience teaching students of all ages and levels. She has served as interim adjunct professor of cello at San Joaquin Delta College and maintains a thriving private studio in Manteca, CA and online. Previously, she has held faculty and leadership positions at institutions such as the Boston Latin School and the Community Music Center of Boston. A registered Suzuki teacher (Books 1–5), she combines traditional and Suzuki pedagogical approaches to support each student's musical growth and personal development.
A leader in digital pedagogy and educational content, Stephanie created her Youtube Channel - Stephanie Chen Cello Studio, which provides free educational content and play-along videos to a global audience, now reaching nearly a million lifetime views. She also offers structured online cello courses through Patreon, expanding access to high-quality music education for learners around the world.
Stephanie is an advocate for community engagement and currently serves as Secretary on the board of CalASTA - Stockton. Bilingual in English and Mandarin, she brings a culturally responsive approach to her teaching and outreach. During her free time, she loves to spend time with her dog (Musette, or Moosie) and husband, taking yoga and pilates classes, going out for a run (she recently completed her first half marathon!), and doing anything arts and crafts!