Shih-Hui Chen
Music
Spring 2025
Composer, Professor at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, member of the Performing Arts and Culture program committee at the Asia Society Texas Center, and founder of 21C: Classical, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Asian Music –Taiwan/USA
Recipient of the 2023 Walter Hinrichsen Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Shih-Hui Chen’s compositions have been recognized by the American Academy in Rome, the Fulbright Program, and the Guggenheim Foundation. She has collaborated with the Philadelphia, Cleveland, and National Taiwan Symphony Orchestras. Her recent works include a mixed-media viola concerto, sisila ila ila; saying goodbye, featuring shadow puppetry, a Beethoven quartet, Taiwanese indigenous singing, and whale songs.
Kimchi, Pickles, and Wine is a musical/theatrical work featuring live musicians, video, a chef/narrator, and a tasting event. It explores global fermented foods in three parts: musical stations on fermentation sounds, a live show with music, narration, and fermentation videos, and a tasting of global fermented foods and drinks. The work celebrates shared food traditions and highlights the importance of preserving them across cultures.