Photo credit Rosalie O'Connor

指揮／陳美安

在指揮台上兼具創新與熱情的爆發力，陳美安無疑是美國最受矚目的新銳指揮家之一，2015年更獲音樂美國雜誌Musical America評選為年度三十位音樂界最具影響力的人物之一；陳美安自2010年起接掌擔任美國曼非斯交響樂團的音樂總監，2011年起接任芝加哥小交響樂團的音樂總監。她以充滿活力、熱情以及高水平的音樂規劃執行力領導兩個樂團，獲得了樂迷和樂界的一致好評與喜愛，也正因為陳女士在樂團演奏時極為擅長引領音樂的互動與交融，她已經成為全球古典樂壇爭相邀演的指揮家。

陳女士完成了在曼菲斯交響樂團六個樂季擔任音樂總監後，該團為表彰她的成就，特別賦予陳女士桂冠指揮的稱謂；而在2016年的夏天，陳美安將接任國立臺灣交響樂團2016 NTSO國際青少年管弦樂營的藝術總監與指揮一職。

2015-16樂季，陳女士除了與曼菲斯交響樂團和芝加哥小交響樂團的合作演出外，其演出的步伐還包含了北美洲、歐洲以及亞洲的臺灣等；合作的樂團更包含了舊金山和休士頓交響樂團年度的中國新年音樂會、瑞典的哥德堡交響樂團交響樂團、加拿大的魁北克交響樂團、美國密西根的大急流交響樂團、亞利桑那州的圖森交響樂團、俄亥俄州的托萊多交響樂團，國立臺灣交響樂團，以及聖羅莎交響樂團與溫尼伯交響樂交響樂團等。

陳女士近期的重要演出包括了德國巴登卡爾斯魯厄國立歌劇院、臺灣的國家交響樂團、舊金山交響樂團著名的中國新年慶祝活動、與荷蘭愛樂管弦樂團，其他還包含了瑞典的哥德堡管弦樂團、加拿大卡爾加里愛樂管弦樂團、巴西的米納斯吉拉斯州愛樂管弦樂團、芝加哥交響樂團、底特律交響樂團、休斯頓交響樂團、辛辛那提交響樂團、印第安納波利斯交響樂團、聖地亞哥交響樂團，以及奧地利的格拉茨交響樂團、巴西聖保羅交響樂團、丹麥國家交響樂團、芬蘭的坦佩雷愛樂樂團、挪威的挪威廣播交響樂團和瑞典的諾爾蘭歌劇院等。同時，陳女士也密集地受邀在北美洲各大樂團擔任客席指揮工作，包含亞特蘭大、巴爾的摩、科羅拉多州、哥倫布、佛羅里達州、沃斯堡、大急流城、納什維爾、北卡羅來納州、俄勒岡州、太平洋城、鳳凰城、西雅圖、多倫多、圖森、溫哥華交響樂團，並與美國國家交響樂團在華盛頓特區演出；而海外的邀請則包含了丹麥國家交響樂團，英國廣播BBC交響樂團，英國伯恩茅斯交響樂團，墨西哥國家交響樂團，挪威廣播交響樂團與特隆赫姆交響樂團等。在美國，夏季包含亞斯本音樂節、布里特音樂節、維吉尼亞州冬青郡音樂節、肖托夸音樂節等。陳美安除了身為音樂總監在指導管弦樂團的優異表現，讓他獲得了2012年的湯普森獎；而陳美安投身音樂教育，也被給予極大的肯定和獎項。陳美安於2005年榮獲馬爾科(Nicolai Malko)國際指揮大賽冠軍，成為該獎項四十年來唯一女性首獎得主，之後邀約不斷。陳美安曾擔任亞特蘭大交響樂團、巴爾的摩交響樂團、奧瑞岡交響樂團的助理指揮，以及全美國歷史最悠久的青少年樂團─波特蘭青少年愛樂的音樂總監。

出生於臺灣的陳美安自1989年移居美國，她亦是美國新英格蘭音樂院創校以來首位同時取得小提琴和指揮雙碩士學位的畢業生。她曾以小提琴家身分於卡內基廳和坦格伍德音樂節演出。隨後攻讀當時指揮課程全美排名第一的密西根大學，與指揮家肯尼斯‧基斯勒爾學習指揮，獲得藝術博士學位。

Conductor: Mei-Ann Chen

An innovative and passionate force both on and off the conductor’s podium, Mei-Ann Chen is one of America’s most dynamic young conductors. Named one of Musical America’s 2015 Top 30 Influencers, Ms. Chen has served as Music Director of the Memphis Symphony since 2010 and the Chicago Sinfonietta since 2011. She has infused both orchestras with energy, enthusiasm and high-level music-making, galvanizing their audiences and communities alike. A sought-after guest conductor, Ms. Chen’s reputation as a compelling communicator has resulted in growing popularity with orchestras both nationally and internationally.

Following a successful six seasons as Music Director of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Chen concludes her tenure with the orchestra at the end of this season. In recognition of her accomplishments, the orchestra is bestowing upon her the title Conductor Laureate. This coming summer, Mei-Ann Chen takes on the post of Artistic Director and Conductor for the 2016 National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Summer Youth Orchestra Festival.

Following fall appearances with the Memphis Symphony and Chicago Sinfonietta, Ms. Chen’s winter/spring 2015-16 season features concerts throughout North America, and in Germany and Taiwan. Guest engagements include a return to the San Francisco Symphony to lead its annual Chinese New Year Concert, engagements with Götesborgs Symfoniker, Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, Grand Rapids, Tucson, and Toledo symphonies, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, and her debuts with the Santa Barbara and Winnipeg symphonies.

Recent performance highlights include leading Germany’s Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe, Taiwan’s National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony’s renowned Chinese New Year celebration, and the Netherlands Philharmonic at the Concertgebouw.  Among her recent debuts are Sweden’s Göteborgs Symfoniker, Canada’s Calgary Philharmonic, Brazil’s Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Symphony on its subscription series, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony (where she stepped in on short notice and was immediately re-engaged), Indianapolis Symphony (as a last-minute step-in engagement) and San Diego Symphony, as well as engagements abroad with Austria’s Gross Orchester Graz, Brazil’s São Paulo Symphony, Denmark’s National Symphony Orchestra, Finland’s Tampere Philharmonic, Norway's Norwegian Radio Orchestra and Sweden’s NorrlandsOperan (Norrland's Opera). Among her many North American guesting credits are appearances with the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Colorado, Columbus, Florida, Fort Worth, Grand Rapids, Nashville, North Carolina, Oregon, Pacific, Phoenix, Seattle, Toronto, Tucson, Vancouver, and the National Symphony in Washington, D.C. Overseas guesting credits include the principal Danish orchestras, the BBC Scottish Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, Orquestra Sinfonica Nacional de Mexico, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, and the Trondheim Symphony. U.S. summer music festivals credits include the Aspen Music Festival, Britt, Grand Teton, Wintergreen, and the Chautauqua Institute. In addition to the 2012 Helen M. Thompson Award from the League of American Orchestras, Mei-Ann Chen’s skill on the podium, and as a music educator, has been recognized with several honors, awards and posts. In 2005 Ms. Chen became the first woman to win Copenhagen’s esteemed Malko Competition. She served as Assistant Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony and Baltimore Symphony, under the aegis of the League of American Orchestras, with the Oregon symphony as well. Recipient of the 2007 Taki Concordia Fellowship, she has appeared jointly with Marin Alsop and Stefan Sanderling in highly acclaimed subscription concerts with the Baltimore Symphony, Colorado Symphony and Florida Orchestra. In 2002, Ms. Chen was unanimously selected as Music Director of the Portland Youth Philharmonic in Oregon, the oldest of its kind and a model for many youth orchestras in the United States. During her five-year tenure with the orchestra, she led its sold-out debut in Carnegie Hall, received an ASCAP award for innovative programming, and developed new and unique musicianship programs for the orchestra’s members. She was also the recipient of a Sunburst Award from Young Audiences for her contribution to music education.

Born in Taiwan, Mei-Ann Chen has lived in the United States since 1989. She was the first student in New England Conservatory’s history to receive master’s degrees, simultaneously, in both violin and conducting, later studying with Kenneth Kiesler at the University of Michigan, where she earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting. Ms. Chen also participated in the National Conducting Institute in Washington, D.C. and at the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen.