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.
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
at CCM
concert:nova
Digital Clarinet Academy
Perform · Teach · Create
Where you'll find her
Perform
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Second Clarinet since 2001. She has also recorded with the orchestra on the Telarc label.
Orchestra profile →
Create
concert:nova
The chamber ensemble she founded in 2006, blending traditional and contemporary music. It has commissioned more than 30 new works, with support from the NEA, ArtsWave and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. After 17 seasons she and co-founder Ted Nelson handed leadership to Brianna Matzke in 2024.
concertnova.com →
Teach
CCM · University of Cincinnati
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the College-Conservatory of Music, on the faculty since 2004.
Faculty profile → TeachHome Studio
A private studio for students of all ages, from 15 to 75, with lessons and coaching for players at every stage.
Lessons & coaching →
Online
Digital Clarinet Academy
Co-founded in 2020 and co-directed with Dr. Tiffany Valvo: online clarinet training and resources for players around the world.
digitalclarinetacademy.com →
Online
Music360
A platform for music performance, career counseling and entrepreneurial training, home of the Digital Clarinet Academy and Thrive.
music-threesixty.com →The journey
From Taiwan to the Queen City
- 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.
- 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.
Stages & airwaves
Festivals around the world
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