Ping-Yu Chuang
Ms. Ping-Yu Chuang received her Doctor of Music degree from the University of Minnesota in February 2007. She studied violin under the legacy of violinist Louis Krasner, also the founder/artistic director of Chamber Music Society of Minnesota: Professor Young-Nam Kim. Ms. Chuang received full scholarship for her studies in the U.S. and served as a teaching assistant for Professor Kim.
Ms. Chuang’s performance in violin solo and string quartets has received critical acclaim from Robert Mann; she has been praised as “an exceptionally gifted and passionate violinist.” Ms. Chuang has proven herself talented enough to receive invitation of master classes of Joseph Silverstein and pianist Frances Renzi. In 2003, Ms. Chuang was invited by Professor Kim on a tour for Black Angels – for Electric String Quartet by renowned contemporary composer George Crumb. Crumb attended the quartet’s premier in Minneapolis and highly acknowledged Ms. Chuang’s performance.
In 2003, Ms. Chuang was appointed as the first violin in the Mississippi Valley Orchestra and her musical ability deeply impressed conductor Edward Schlueter. She was asked to stay as the concertmaster in subsequent years (until 2006) and performed as soloist in Pablo Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy and Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto in the following year.
During her stay in the U.S., she was invited to perform in the concerts by the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota as the “outstanding young musician” and has worked with numerous prestigious musicians, including members of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, renowned contemporary composers, vocalists and even Joe Lovano, a legendary saxophone player in the United States. She was invited by the Northern Lights Chamber Music Institute on several occasions to give demonstrations at music camps.
In 2006, Ms. Chuang represented the University of Minnesota at the Elliott Carter Festival (jointly organized with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra) as the first violin in the string quartet. Star Tribune praised Ms. Chuang’s performance with a description on the beauty of her interpretation of Elegy.
After her return to Taiwan in 2007, Ms. Chuang was invited to be a member of the string quartet along with Professors Arkady Kutchinsky, Gregory Lee and Chao Yi-Wen. Ms. Chuang also worked with Professor Kutchinsky in teaching Tianyun Children’s Chamber Music Ensemble. In 2008, Ms. Chuang gave her first solo recital after her return to Taiwan at Shinmin Senior High School’s Concert Hall in Taichung, and the event received overwhelming positive response. In 2009, Ms. Chuang became a resident artist at National Taiwan University of Art; same year she was invited to give a solo recital in Chiayi City’s music festival. In 2012, she was invited to perform in Japan with Homeland Chamber Ensemble as a soloist.
2012~2024, she was a member in Baroque Camerata. With the group she has recorded ten recordings and performed with great musicians, such as: Yu-Chien Tseng, Goshima Ryu, Olivier Charlie, Henri Demarquette, Judith Ingolfsson.
In 2024, she co-founded the Cosy Chord Ensemble with friends. This young and energetic group has already collaborated twice with Julien Chauvin, the winner of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres; in 2025 Cosy Chord ensemble will have concerts with Kevin Lin, the Concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; and 2026 with Henry Wieniawski Violin Competition first prize winner- Soyoung Yoon.
Ms. Chuang’s teaching methods are mainly focused on leading and inspiring students to engage in active thinking. Her students have performed impressively in various competitions and admitted in conservatories and universities around the world. Now she teaches at numbers of academic institutions in Taiwan.