Dr. Edna Yuan-Yuan Chia, Pianist

Doctor of Musical Arts, University of Southern California

Assistant Professor, National Taiwan Normal University, University of Taipei, Shih-Chien University
Steinway Educational Partner
Primary Speaker of Music Salad Bar – Classical Music Class by Dr. Chia, Yuan-Yuan on Voice of Han Broadcasting Network

“In Bright Sheng’s work, Chia was most effective, and one felt it was written for her as it suited her imaginative free
performing style…”

“Chia’s keen ear for beautiful sounds provided some magical movements. … Chia is very sensitive and listens to herself in terms of the sonic effect…”
“Her playing was earnest and diligent, always with a lovely sound and with sincere feeling. I preferred her playing in many ways to the shallow, showy winners of some of the recent major competitions.”
Howard Aibel, New York Concert Review

“..she achieved an expressive mood that revealed her superb control of dynamics and color.”
Lyn Bronson, Musical Events on the Monterey Peninsula

An accomplished pianist and collaborative artist, Pianist Edna Yuan-Yuan Chia has performed in major stages across North America and Asia. Her appearances include Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Banff Music Festival, the Steinway Gallery, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art,
National Concert Hall and Recital Hall in Taipei, The Black Box of National Taichung Theater, Weiwuying Performance Hall, Beverly Hills Library and City Hall, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Smith Memorial Hall, University of Wyoming, VanderCook College, Southern Methodist University at Taos, McAfee Center in Northern California, Seoul National University of Education Concert Hall, the Affiliated High School of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Hunan Normal University, and Radio KMZT 105. 1 and KUSC 91. 5 live concert, among others.

Recent engagements include her 2025 solo recital Imaginary at Taiwan's National Recital Hall in October, her return in July to Asia International Piano Academy and Festival to premiere works by young Asian composers, and give masterclasses at Korea; and a benefit concert Melody in the Breeze- A dedication to our motherland in May at the McAfee Performing Arts and Lecture Center in the United States.

 

In 2023- 2024, Dr. Chia toured with recitals Kaleidoscopic Fantasies at the National Recital Hall in Taipei, Black Box of Taichung National Theater, Steinway Gallery in Pasadena, the Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) in Mountain View, and Smith Memorial Hall at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. She was also invited to perform a solo recital at the Mingshi Piano Festival’s Master Series, along with delivering lectures and masterclasses. In March 2022, she performed Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Taipei Sunshine Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Chia’s numerous honors include the special presentation awards from Artists International New York debut, the Young Artist International Award in Los Angeles, the first place in both piano performance and composition in the Taiwan Regional Music Competition, the second prize at the Carmel Music Society International Piano Competition, USC Chamber Music Award, and selected as the honorary member of the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society.

In 2022, Dr. Chia was named Steinway Educational Partner, in recognition of her outstanding achievements and contributions in both performance and music
education.

Dr. Chia has been invited to serve as a jury member for numerous international and national competitions, including AIPAF International Piano Competition in Seoul, MK International Piano Competition hosted by the DMZ International Piano Association in Korea, Steinway Youth Piano Competition, PIARA International Piano Competition Taiwan regional final, New Tang Dynasty International Piano Competition Taiwan finals, Taiwan National Music Competitions, Cultural Cup National Piano Competition, YAMAHA National Piano Competition and Scholarship Selection, Aegean International Piano Competition, among others.

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A passionate pedagogue, Dr. Chia has presented lectures, masterclasses, and interviews at AIPAF Masterclass Series and MK International Piano Academy (South Korea), the Bay Area Smiling Raindrop Foundation (United States), the Piano Pedagogy Symposium at National Taipei University of Education, KHS Music Forum Series, National Taipei University of Technology, National Chi- Nan University, the National Taiwan University Piano Club, YAMAHA teachers society seminars, Azure International Music Festival, and media interviews with IC Baroadcasting and Voice of Han Broadcasting Networks. She is the primary speaker of the ongoing radio program Music Salad Bar – Prof. Edna Chia’s Classical Music Class, the content of which is featured on her personal Apple Podcast, Edna Chia.

Dr. Chia’s academic papers have been published in the Journal of the Piano Pedagogy Symposium at National Taipei University of Education and in the Journal of Arts of University of Taipei. She has twice been selected as a repertoire consultant of the designated music for Taiwan’s national annual collegiate music placement audition.

Dr. Chia was under directions with her primary teachers, renowned pianists and professors Bernadene Blaha, Kevin Fitz-Gerald, Van Cliburn International Competition Laureat professor Daming Zhu, NTNU professors Kung- Chin Lin and Xue- Yu Tung; and Professors Richard Moore, Yen Lu in theory and
composition.

Dr. Chia currently serves as Assistant Professor at National Taiwan Normal University, University of Taipei, and Shih Chien University, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in piano literature, piano chamber music, individual instruction, and masters’ thesis coaching.