Today we’d like to introduce you to Yenju Chen
Hi Yenju, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Yenju Chen, a Taiwanese violinist, composer, and singer based in Los Angeles, embarked on her musical journey at the age of 4, initially delving into classical music through piano and later transitioning to the violin. However, her musical exploration extended far beyond classical realms.
She came to Los Angeles to pursue a master in fine art degree at California Institute of the Arts. She studies contemporary music profoundly and showcased her talent in diverse settings, ranging from orchestras and jazz bands to Latin American ensembles, noise rock groups, and ethnical folk music projects. She studied with avant-garde artist Ulrick Krieger and Serbian guitarist Miroslav Tadic, which later influenced on her composition and performance.
She created an avant-garde noise ensemble, “Raccoon Children,” which combines ethical elements with distorted ambiance rock music. The ensemble has actively participates in performances across various venues in LA, pushing boundaries and introducing experimental sounds to audiences. Notably, she has been selected as one of the granted artists to be featured a series of immersive impromptu at Audubon Center, presented by Arroyo Art Collective. Yenju has performed Southeast European folk songs to introduce the beautiful sound of Balkan to the audience. Additionally, she also orchestrated a Balkan concert in Taiwan, introducing the vibrant Balkan sound to local audiences, and has plans to host similar events in Los Angeles in order to bring more different sound of music to local Los Angeles community.
Recently, Yenju showcased her talent alongside Bijan Mortazavi at the YouTube Theater, further cementing her reputation as a versatile and dynamic musician on the global stage. She will also be collaborating with Arroyo Art Collective for future community shows
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say it’s definitely the language and culture. When I first came here, I don’t know anyone other than classmates from school. It’s really hard to start the connections and get opportunities when I don’t know anyone, and I have to constantly speak English, which is not my mother tongue. Everything did somehow come together more as I met more people from the local. I did still have a journey to go on, but I do appreciate the challenges that made me more capable.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a violinist, but other than just playing classical music, I like to experiment with the difference that I can perform from the violin. I did a lot of Balkan folk music on string; I have a noise rock band where I play violin in it where my sound went through a pedal and created a colorful tone. I also did improvisation sessions with dancers to explore more aspect from traditional performances
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I would like to be able to collaborate with LA-based art organizations, providing my service and also facilitate with making connections for artists from different disciplines. I would definitely love to bring my knowledge and enthusiasm to colleges, art galleries, community centers in order to showcase my performance and composition
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yenjuchen.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imamagaret/
Image Credits
Mary Cheung
