UMKC composition professor Dr. Chen Yi was recently inducted in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Chen Yi: From oppression to expression

Professor honored for artistic accomplishments

By: Jonathan Pearson

Posted: 10/3/05

Dr. Chen Yi, the Lorena Searcy Cravens/Millsap/Missouri Distinguished Professor in Composition at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, was recently honored as an elected fellow to the 225th class of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The illustrious academy includes artists, scholars and scientists, as well as civic and corporate philanthropic leaders. This newly-elected class of members was honored for their intellectual achievement, leadership and creativity in their respective fields. Chen was selected earlier this year along with such notables as the late U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, NBC journalist and anchorman Tom Brokaw, and playwright Tony Kushner.

Chen is honored by the recognition but realizes she must continue striving for excellence.

"It requires much work and is a big responsibility," said Chen. "I now have to work harder in my own field so that I may use my music as a tool to share ideas throughout the world. Now I am able to improve the understanding between people of different cultural backgrounds so there might be a better future of society and peace around the world."

Most of Chen's feelings about music stem from her childhood in China during the "Cultural Revolution."

Growing up in the city of Guangzhou during the 1960s, Chen and her family witnessed the harsh realities of a Communist government. Their home was routinely searched, they were forced into engaging in public self-criticism and had to live their lives under much stress from political pressures due to their status as an "intellectual" family. Chen's parents were medical doctors and her sister was a child prodigy at the piano, performing on the local radio.

As a teenager, Chen was sent off to the countryside to perform forced labor work in order to be "reeducated." She brought her violin along and played the revolutionary songs, which were the only thing anyone was allowed to play. As she played, she would improvise the songs and created new works of her own.

Near the end of the "Cultural Revolution" in 1978, the future professor was among the first group of composition students accepted into the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, when she was 25. She was only allowed to pick one major and could have easily chosen violin but chose composition because it had been her dream.

Chen admits her family helped inspire her love for composing music.

"My parents really helped influence my dreams with their strong love for classical music," she said. "They had a huge collection of LP records and scores of classical repertoire."

Since then, Chen has been the recipient of several awards and fellowships, including the prestigious Ives Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the ASCAP Concert Music Award and the Guggenheim Fellowship. She earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts at Columbia University in New York City.

Chen accepted an endowed professorship from UMKC with tenure when she finished teaching at the Peabody Conservatory in 1998.

As a musician, Chen impresses students and faculty at the Conservatory with her unique sound.

"[Her music] is extremely dynamic and combines traditional Chinese elements with Western elements," said Dr. James Mobberley, Curators' Professor of Music at the Conservatory of Music. "A lot of her melodies emphasize ornamentation; they are very active!"

Mobberley also said Chen is a wonderful colleague and professor who is patient with her students. He believes the Conservatory is fortunate to have the world-famous musician helping scholars achieve their dreams.

"She is perhaps one of the most energetic, kind-hearted, gregarious people in the universe," said "As a musician, she is definitely a consummate violinist and can sing anything at sight. She can also immediately understand a complicated score just by looking at it and she is an incredible asset here at UMKC."

jpearson@unews.com