Ann Chen

Ann is accomplished Taiwanese-Canadian musician, Ann Chen is a pianist, mezzo-soprano, and conductor. As a pianist, Ann received her Bachelor of Music in Piano and Education from University of British Columbia. She studied piano performance and techniques with Miranda Wong, Rena Sharon, Alice Enns, Lisa Kim, Kenneth Thompson, Tzong-Kai Kuo, and Juanelva Rose.

Ann has taught at MusicQube, SHOWCASE Music Academy as well as her own private teaching for more than 10 years. As a professional singer, Ann has sung with the Vancouver Cantata Singers, Cor Flammae, Golden Bridge Singers, St. James in-the-city Episcopal Church, and has recorded for Cypress Choral Music. While she was the artistic director of Essonance Chamber Choir from 2013 to 2014, the choir received the runner-up Honourable Barbara A. Hagerman Award at Performing Arts British Columbia Provincial Festival. In Canada, Ann taught in the Vancouver public schools as a choral specialist and served as Choirmaster of St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church. She has been the assistant conductor and section leader at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church (L.A.) for three years. At USC, she is the conductor of Apollo Chorus, University Chorus and the artistic director of an a cappella octet, Exilio.

Ann was selected to conduct in the Toronto Mendelssohn Choral Conductors’ Symposium, Taipei International Choral Festival, Norfolk Chamber Music Choral Festival, 12th European Academy for Choral Conductors, and competed in the 2nd Romano Gandolfi International Competition for Choral Conductor. Ann Chen is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Music at the University of Southern California. She is the co-founder and artistic director of an a cappella octet, Exilio, an ensemble that features music by marginalized and underrepresented composers throughout history, as well as rising composers. She also was selected as the Spiral Chamber Ensemble Choral Conducting Fellow and one of the Voces8 US Scholars in 2024-2025. She is currently the music director at Bay Shore Congregational Church.