Lauded for her “particularly lovely” playing, collaborative pianist, Candace Marie Chien is a graduate of The Juilliard School, studying with Jonathan Feldman and Margo Garrett.  She received her Master’s degree in piano performance at the Manhattan of School of Music with the guidance of Jeffery Cohen and obtained her undergraduate degree in piano performance at Temple University under Professor Harvey Wedeen, and also completed an undergraduate there in Music Education, cum laude.

An avid chamber musician, Candace regularly performs with chamber groups Alighieri Duo, a violin piano duo, and piano trio Trio Portinari.  Her chamber music performances have taken her all over the east coast of the US, Canada, and Sweden, and has performed with members of the New York Philharmonic and Sydney Symphony.  She has coached with members of Juilliard String Quartet, American String Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet and Nash Ensemble.  Other influential mentors include JJ Penna, Gina Levinson, Lucie Robert, Kenneth Cooper, and Charles Abramovic. Recent engagements include appearances at Kaufmann Center Merkin Hall, Kimmel Center Academy of Music, Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall, WMP Concert Hall, Rutgers University’s Mallery Room, Islip Arts Council and Heliconian Hall in Toronto and concerto appearances with New Westchester Symphony and New York Session Symphony.  She has participated in masterclasses with Lambert Orkis, Warren Jones, and Czech pianist Ivan Klansky.

Passing on her love of classical music to the next generation is a particular passion for Candace.  She has held music teaching positions in the public schools of Westfield, New Jersey and Queens, New York, and piano faculty positions at Usdan Center of Creative and Performing Arts and Point Counterpoint Chamber Music Festival.  Students of Candace’s have been accepted to LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts, West Chester University, University of North Texas, and Temple University.  Candace also curates a unique concert series in Moorestown, NJ called Chamber Music at the Evergreens, that brings quality chamber music to the elderly.

In her spare time between private teaching, Juilliard, and concertizing, one can also find Candace in the kitchen.  Her personal connection to music and food can be seen on Food Network tv show, Cooks Versus Cons, Season 4 in the episode “Fry, Fry Again!”