Catherine Chen

Canadian violist Dr. Catherine Chen is an avid chamber and orchestra musician, performing as the violist of the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, Constantinides New Music Ensemble, and as principal viola of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra. She has given recitals across the United States, Canada, and Taiwan, and she has soloed with orchestras as the winner of concerto competitions at Louisiana State University and Texas Tech University, most recently performing Rebecca Clarke’s Viola Sonata with orchestra in April 2022. But her passions lie in contemporary music performance, and she frequently showcases music by underrepresented composers in her programming by performing music by individuals identifying as women, persons of color, and LGBTQ+.
 

Prior to moving to Louisiana, Catherine taught viola at the University of Texas Permian Basin. She holds music performance degrees from Louisiana State University, Rice University and McGill University, and her teachers include Kimberly Sparr, James Dunham, and André Roy.