Cellist Yunwen Chen values music’s power to connect people and bring healing experiences. Born in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, she is the first professional musician in her family. At age 16, she came to the U.S. to further pursue music after having studied at Shanghai Conservatory of Music. The following year, she performed as a soloist with the orchestra of Interlochen Arts Academy as a concerto competition winner. Passionate for chamber music, she co-founded a piano trio at Shanghai Conservatory of Music, all the members of which traveled to the U.S. to continue their studies. The trio was a winner of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2012. She has enjoyed collaborating with musicians from around the globe at music festivals such as the Perlman Chamber Music Workshop, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Yellow Barn, and Kneisel Hall. Chen holds degrees from Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, and Manhattan School of Music. Her most influential mentors include Alan Harris, Paul Katz, and Julia Lichten. Last year, she gave nine duo recitals, including a Nancy Frampton Rising Artists Series concert in Atlanta, GA, and a benefit concert in Weymouth, MA which raised funds for Ele Elna Elak, an organization actively delivering and distributing water in Gaza. A devoted educator, Chen was a teaching artist at Boston Arts Academy and cello faculty at the Four Strings Academy Summer Program in 2024. She performs on a 1771 instrument made by Italian luthier Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi.