Li-Hsin Chen
Li-Hsin Chen Expresses Himself Through Music
Piano Performance major in the Doctor of Musical Arts degree program | Conservatory of Music and Dance
Graduation Year: 2016
Where are you from?
I am from Taiwan.
Why did you choose the piano?
I love its complexity, variety and countless repertoire. Most importantly, I don’t have to carry it with me every day (laughs).
“If you want to become a professional musician, you have to be capable of thinking, talking, performing and writing professionally about music.”
What excites you?
Music and people – studying/performing music and communication with different people really excite me. And literally, coffee (laughs).
What do you admire most at UMKC?
What I admire most at UMKC is our Conservatory faculty. To me, art is the language and expression of artists’ thoughts and introspection. Each faculty member represents different artistic characters. Studying with their outstanding characteristics and being around their knowledge, behavior, experience and aesthetic awareness makes me feel closer to the essence of beauty and the arts.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received from a professor?
If you want to become a professional musician, you have to be capable of thinking, talking, performing and writing professionally about music.
What got you interested in performance?
Through performing music, I cannot only freely and effectively express those emotions and feelings that I can’t express with words, but convey those music masters’ genius and my thoughts at the same time. By performing, music brings me intellectual and spiritual pleasure simultaneously.
Do you still get performance anxiety? How do you deal with it?
Yes, every time. I think every musician has performance anxiety. How do I deal with it? Well, first of all, I don’t drink coffee before my performance (laughs). Seriously, though, through mental practices like strengthening concentration or self-talk, or sometimes you just need to do it.
What excites you?
Music and people – studying/performing music and communication with different people really excite me. And literally, coffee (laughs).
What do you admire most at UMKC?
What I admire most at UMKC is our Conservatory faculty. To me, art is the language and expression of artists’ thoughts and introspection. Each faculty member represents different artistic characters. Studying with their outstanding characteristics and being around their knowledge, behavior, experience and aesthetic awareness makes me feel closer to the essence of beauty and the arts.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received from a professor?
If you want to become a professional musician, you have to be capable of thinking, talking, performing and writing professionally about music.
What got you interested in performance?
Through performing music, I cannot only freely and effectively express those emotions and feelings that I can’t express with words, but convey those music masters’ genius and my thoughts at the same time. By performing, music brings me intellectual and spiritual pleasure simultaneously.
Do you still get performance anxiety? How do you deal with it?
Yes, every time. I think every musician has performance anxiety. How do I deal with it? Well, first of all, I don’t drink coffee before my performance (laughs). Seriously, though, through mental practices like strengthening concentration or self-talk, or sometimes you just need to do it.
