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The Taiwanese-born American pianist, Tien Hsieh, was born of Chinese parents, and immigrated to the USA when she was 9 years old. She began her musical training with her mother, Sylvia Hsieh, who maintains an active piano studio in Sacramento. She studied at Saint Louis Conservatory of Music under the guidance of Jane Allen and Carol Tafoya, obtaining a degree in Piano Performance (1987-1990; Tuition scholarship recipient); University of Houston with Abbey Simon and Ruth Tomfohrde, obtaining Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance (1990-1993; full scholarship and waiver recipient); Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Dr. Marc Silverman, obtaining Master of Music degree in Piano Performance (1994-1996; Tuition scholarship recipient) and Professional Studies Diploma in Piano Performance (1996-1997; Recipient of the prestigious Roy M. Rubinstein Award; Bettingen Corporation Grant from MSM; Recipient of Li-Ching Cultural and Educational Grant from Li-Ching Foundation, Taiwan). Her achievements include 2008 Distinguished Artist Award from Artists International Presentation, first prizewinner of both Pacific Piano Competition & Festival and Texas Music Teacher Association Collegiate Concerto Competition, as well as award winner of competitions across the USA.
Since 2000, Tien Hsieh ia active as a concert pianist, performance venues include concerts presented by arts councils, community concert associations to colleges, universities, performing arts centers, music festivals, etc. Recognized for exceptional temperament, personal expressivity and insight, she has enjoyed a far-ranging career as a recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician. While performing intensively throughout the America West, she has appeared on concert series as far afield as Skagway and Haines in Alaska, Dame Myra Hess Series in Chicago and Impromptu Concerts in Key West, Florida. New York Concert Review praised Tien Hsieh’s 2008 return to New York’s Carnegie Hall-Weill Recital Hall as “Unusually impressive, compelling, thrusting, extraordinary, most memorable and deeply moving.” Tien Hsieh was featured cover artist in Sacramento Talent Magazine (February 2012 Issue).
As prizewinner of the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, Tien Hsieh played an all-Franz Liszt program at the Liszt Museum in Budapest, Hungary. She has also performed solo recitals and chamber music in China and Germany. Her orchestral appearances include soloist with the Spokane Symphony at The Festival at Sandpoint, Redlands Symphony at Redlands Bowl, Oregon Mozart Players, Manhattan Philharmonia and Houston Civic Orchestra. Her musical collaborations include performances with Czech Republic’s Graffe Quartet with the Robert Schumann's Piano Quintet, Sacramento Ballet, Manhattan Symphony Orchestra, UC Davis Symphony Orchestra and State Street Ballet.
Recent highlights include solo recitals throughout California, Alaska, Washington, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and recording "Bach and Beethoven: Mostly Transcriptions 2" album, released in 2014. Of Mostly Transcriptions" recording, released on the Titanic label, Harris Goldsmith of New York Concert Review (February 25, 2011) writes, "...Miraculously and convincingly recreated”. American Record Guide (May/June 2011 Issue) writes, “The effect is that Liszt himself was sitting in my living room…Hsieh plays with grace and energy. She has a keen ear for the music’s architecture, and make the piano sing in every register.” Tien’s performance highlights for 2014-2015 include return engagements at the Liszt Museum in Budapest, Hungary, The Lane Series at University of Vermont, solo recitals at Boston University, Albano Liszt Festival in Italy, as well as performances in the Pacific Northwest and Western States. The Memorable Concerts of 2013, published by San Francisco Examiner, include Tien Hsieh’s performance of L.v. Beethoven's Op. 111 Sonata, “imaginatively intelligent approaches…compelling".
Tien Hsieh’s collaborations as orchestral pianist include Manhattan Symphony Orchestra, Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire with Gold Country Chamber Players, Orff's Carmina Burana with Sacramento Ballet and Igor Stravinsky's Les Noces at Mondavi Center's Jackson Hall at UC Davis in California. She has been heard on radio broadcast WFMT in Chicago, KXJZ of Sacramento, Northwest Focus on KING in Seattle, Key West, Eugene, Eureka, Ontario, Vancouver, BC, PBS for International Piano Festival in Houston, Texas, and, nationwide TV commercial for Van de Kamp fish sticks!
Tien Hsieh's recent projects include collaboration with the Kenya Project of UC Davis-School of Medicine, which strives to promote cultural exchange, improve global health and solidarity in the face of HIV/AIDS. She is also the founding Artistic Director, Curator and Co-founder of Classical Masters Music Festival. The Three day inaugural festival launched in June of 2011 at Three Stages Performing Arts Center in Folsom, California.
Tien Hsieh currently resides in Folsom, California She enjoys making jewelry in her spare time and occasionally playing as a headliner for her sailing audiences at sea. |
