Praised by The Baltimore Sun for her “impeccable technique…deeply expressive phrasing…and poetic weight,” Sirena Huang is one of her generation’s most celebrated violinists. She brings not only technical brilliance and powerful artistry to the stage, but also a profound sense of connection to her audience.

Sirena is the 2022 Gold Medalist of the 11th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, where she also won eight of the eleven special prizes. Among her numerous accolades, in 2017, she won the Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition and the New York Concert Artist Worldwide Debut Audition. Sirena was named the first Artist-in-Residence of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra in 2011.

Sirena made her debut with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra at the age of nine and has since performed in twenty countries. She has been a soloist with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Shanghai, Russian, and Singapore symphony orchestras, and the Staatskapelle Weimar. She has performed in leading venues including Berliner Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, the Kravis Center, Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay, Shanghai Concert Hall, and the Taiwan National Concert Hall. She has appeared as a guest artist at the Verbier, Marlboro, Ravinia, Aspen, Eastern and Newport Music festivals, Music in the Mountains Festival, Sarasota Arts Series, “The Great Music for a Great City” series in New York City, and many others.

Motivated by a deep wish to inspire peace and harmony with her music, Sirena has performed before world leaders, thinkers and humanitarians. She has appeared at the World Peace Conference held in Petra and at the Opening Ceremony of the “Forum 2000 World Conference” in Prague.

Sirena performs on a Guarneri del Gesù violin, Cremona 1739 “Kortschak”, on loan from Dr. Ryuji Ueno and Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative.

Pianist Chih-Yi Chen has been on the faculty of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music since 2003. She is the Associate Chair of the Chamber and Collaborative Music Department, inaugurated in 2016. She has also been on the faculty of the Indiana University Summer String Academy for more than two decades. Her versatile qualities as a collaborative partner, chamber musician, soloist and teacher have contributed to a distinguished career, nationally and internationally.

Chen has been performing with International Violin Competition of Indianapolis Laureates since 2003 when she was first invited to perform with Barnabás Kelemen. She has served as an official pianist for the competition since the 9th Quadrennial in 2014 and was awarded special recognition at the 2018 Competition for “Best Performances” of the Beethoven and Mozart sonatas. Highlights of the 2022-2023 season include concert tours with violinists Richard Lin, Luke Hsu and Ioana Cristina Goicea, as well as performances and masterclasses in Taiwan and Argentina.

Born in Taipei, Chih-Yi Chen received her Bachelor, Master and Doctor of Music degrees from Indiana University where she studied with Lev Vlasenko, and with Luba Edlina-Dubinsky, pianist of the Borodin Trio.