Early years
Taiwan → California
Starts the clarinet at age eleven as the youngest pupil of Rosario Mazzeo, and also trains with Gary Gray at UCLA.
Second Clarinet
Cincinnati Symphony
Orchestra
Ixi
Chen —
Clarinet
Orchestral player, chamber musician and educator. Founder of concert:nova and co-founder of the Digital Clarinet Academy.
About Ixi
Orchestral player. Chamber musician. Educator.
Born in Taiwan and raised in California, Ixi Chen started the clarinet at eleven and became the youngest pupil of the late Rosario Mazzeo.
Since 2001 she has been Second Clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, where she holds the Vicky & Rick Reynolds Chair in Honor of William A. Friedlander. In 2004 she joined the clarinet faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).
Beyond the orchestra, she founded the chamber ensemble concert:nova in 2006 to bring new audiences to art music, and in 2020 co-founded the Digital Clarinet Academy, which gives clarinetists around the world access to high-level instruction online.
2001Second Clarinet,
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
2004Joined the clarinet faculty
at CCM
at CCM
2006Founded
concert:nova
concert:nova
2020Co-founded the
Digital Clarinet Academy
Digital Clarinet Academy
Perform · Teach · Create
Where you'll find her
01
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Second Clarinet since 2001. She has also recorded with the orchestra on the Telarc label.
Perform02concert:nova
The chamber ensemble she founded in 2006, blending traditional and contemporary music. It has commissioned more than 30 new works. After 17 seasons she and co-founder Ted Nelson handed leadership to Brianna Matzke in 2024.
Create03CCM · University of Cincinnati
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the College-Conservatory of Music, on the faculty since 2004.
Teach04Home Studio
A private studio for students of all ages, from 15 to 75, with lessons and coaching for players at every stage.
Teach05Digital Clarinet Academy
Co-founded in 2020 and co-directed with Dr. Tiffany Valvo: online clarinet training and resources for players around the world.
Online06Music360
A platform for music performance, career counseling and entrepreneurial training, home of the Digital Clarinet Academy and Thrive.
OnlineThe journey
From Taiwan to the Queen City
New York
Manhattan School of Music
Bachelor of Music, studying with David Krakauer and Ricardo Morales.
1996
Germany
Plays Principal Clarinet and Assistant Principal/E-flat with the Philharmonic of the Nations, then studies with Wolfgang Meyer at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe.
1998
Los Angeles
Master of Music at USC with Yehuda Gilad, Principal Clarinet of the American Symphony, and founder of ensemble infinity, the precursor to concert:nova.
2001
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Accepts the post of Second Clarinet and makes Cincinnati her home.
2004
CCM faculty
Joins the clarinet faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
2006
concert:nova
Founds the chamber ensemble, built on fresh, cross-disciplinary ways of presenting music.
2007
Munich ARD Festival
Performs at the festival and tours Europe with its chamber musicians.
2020
Digital Clarinet Academy
Co-founds the online academy with Dr. Tiffany Valvo.
2024
A new chapter for concert:nova
After 17 seasons, Ixi and co-founder Ted Nelson pass the ensemble's leadership to Brianna Matzke.
01 / 10
Stages & airwaves
Festivals around the world
AspenTanglewoodMunich ARDSchleswig-HolsteinRheingauEvianJerusalemThessalonikiSaint PetersburgMexico City UNAMBeijing International Clarinet Festival
Festivals
Aspen
Tanglewood
Munich ARD
Schleswig-Holstein
Rheingau
Evian
Jerusalem
Thessaloniki
Saint Petersburg
Mexico City UNAM
Beijing International Clarinet Festival
On air
ZDF German television
NDR North German Radio
SDR South German Radio
KUSC Los Angeles
KQED San Francisco
WGUC Cincinnati
Recordings
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Telarc
Philharmonic of the Nations Handel Classic Audio
Chamber series
Linton Chamber Music Cincinnati
Manhattan Chamber Music Group New York
Philharmonic Winds Germany
Trained with
Rosario Mazzeo
Gary Gray UCLA
David Krakauer & Ricardo Morales MSM
Wolfgang Meyer Karlsruhe
Joaquin Valdepeñas Aspen
Yehuda Gilad USC
Lessons · coaching · masterclasses
Learn with Ixi
Ixi teaches students of every age in her home studio and gives masterclasses, workshops and talks at universities across the United States and abroad, including ClarinetFest® and the Maryland and Morehead State Clarinet Days.
Also: Pausa Properties · Buffet Crampon & D'Addario Artist · © Ixi Chen Music