Music
Assistant Professor
Theory and Composition, Electronic Music、Music Technology
University of California, San Diego
Yi-hsien Chen is a Taiwanese composer whose work explores the mix between acoustic instruments, electroacoustic music, soundscape, and emerging technologies. He received his Ph.D. in Composition from the University of California, San Diego, where he studied with Lei Liang, Katharina Rosenberger, and Chinary Ung. During his doctoral studies, he was awarded a full scholarship from UC San Diego.
His music has been performed at numerous prestigious international festivals and conferences. Selected performances include “Breathing in Memory” for string quartet premiered at June in Buffalo; “Barrow Point in July” for percussion and electronics and “Quivering Silk” for electronics presented at the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC); “Intangible Waves,” premiered at the IRCAM × C-LAB Workshop; “Maci Lumah” and “Blooming in Late Winter” for large orchestra premiered through the NTSO New Music Competition; and “Sparking” for chamber orchestra premiered at the Weiwuying International Music Festival. During his doctoral studies, he was also selected as a visiting scholar at the University City High School and became the first Taiwanese composer to receive Aaron Copland House’s “What’s the Score” Award.
Beyond concert music, Chen has actively engaged in interdisciplinary collaborations. He participated in the “Hearing Seascapes” project with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, exploring multimedia composition and performance that integrate music, natural sciences, and immersive technology. This project was supported by a two-year Overseas Study Scholarship from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education.
In recent years, his research has focused on sound design, soundscape, spatial audio in composition. His research has been supported by National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), including “Exploring Diverse Experience of Immersive Sound through Spatialization and Interactive Device” (2023–2024), “The Development of a BCI Sound Interaction Interface and the Exploration on Soundscape Composition and Perception” (2025–2026), and “Exploring the Interaction between BCI and the AI Sound Improvising Generative Model” (2026–2027). His research has also extended to industry–academia collaborations, including the project Design and Applications of Spatialization, conducted jointly with the National Sun Yat-sen University–Brogent Joint Research and Development Center (2023–2024).
Recent scholarly publications include “Musical Calling from the Arctic:
A Study on the Representation of Soundscape in Lei Liang’s Six Seasons”, published in Music Research (No. 42), and “What is Line? Exploring the Practice of “Calligraphic Sound” in the Music of Chou Wen-chung and Lei Liang,” published in the Journal of Xinghai Conservatory of Music (No. 2).