Lee-Chin Siow

Associate Professor, Violin

Address: Cato Center, Room 211
Phone: 843.953.5195
E-mail: siowl@cofc.edu
Personal Website: http://www.leechin.com


Praised by the American Record Guide as “a distinguished cultural asset of international stature”, and The Strad as a “trailblazing role model for string players,” Lee-Chin Siow’s Gold Medal victory at the 1994 Henryk Szeryng International Violin Competition launched her career as one of Singapore’s first soloists on the classical stage, wowing audiences in more than 20 countries across five continents from Carnegie Hall to Osaka Symphony Hall. Her performances been viewed by millions on China Central TV, America’s CBS, National Public Radio, and Singapore’s MediaCorp.

Lauded by USA’s Fanfare Magazine for her ability to “seduce listeners…with just a few notes”, Lee-Chin touches audiences with her charismatic stage presence in intimate recitals as well as the grandest of stages. As soloist, she has collaborated with renowned conductors and orchestras from the Royal Philharmonic and Danielle Gatti to the Houston Symphony and Andreas Delfs; and performed in the presence of celebrities and dignitaries from Elton John to former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. In June 2015, she took centrestage performing at the South East Asian Games Opening Ceremony for an audience of more than 50,000 and reaching many more through web broadcasts.

Beginning her violin studies with her late father Siow Hee Shun, Lee-Chin traces her musical lineage all the way back to the legends of Eugène Ysaÿe, Henri Vieuxtemps and Henryk Wieniawkski through their disciples and her teachers at Curtis, Oberlin and Mannes: Aaron Rosand, Jascha Brodsky, Felix Galimir, Almita and Roland Vamos. Today, she continues their pedagogical tradition in her work with young people all over the world from Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music, Chicago Institute of Music, to the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and as violin professor at College of Charleston. Equally proud of her Asian origins, Lee-Chin bridges the East and West, personalising familiar favourites with Asian motifs and introducing the music of Asian composers to the West. Recently, she performed the world premiere of “Air”, a piece specially written for her by acclaimed composer Yao Chen, to open Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in the 2015 City of London Festival.

Lee-Chin’s CD Songs My Father Taught Me topped HMV’s classical music charts in 2009 and was picked for Fanfare Magazine’s Want List. In 2015, Singapore Press Holdings published her memoirs From Clementi to Carnegie – The Journey of Singaporean Violinist Siow Lee Chin.

Siow book cover                 Songs My Father Taught Me cover

Soloist with Orchestras

  • Avignon Symphony Orchestra France
  • Auckland Symphony Orchestra New Zealand
  • Bangor Symphony Orchestra USA
  • Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra USA
  • Billings Symphony Orchestra USA
  • Boise Symphony Orchestra USA
  • Charleston Symphony Orchestra USA
  • Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra USA
  • China Radio-Film Symphony Orchestra China
  • Curtis Symphony Orchestra USA
  • Dallas Symphony Orchestra USA
  • Erfurt Philharmonic Orchestra Germany
  • Houston Symphony Orchestra USA
  • Jena Philharmonic Orchestra Germany
  • Jupiter Symphony Orchestra USA
  • Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra Ukraine
  • Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra USA
  • Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra Ukraine
  • Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra Portugal
  • Ludwisburger Festival Orchestra Germany
  • Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra Malaysia
  • Ohio Chamber Orchestra USA
  • Orquesta Sinfonica de Chile Chile
  • Rockford Symphony Orchestra USA
  • Royal Philharmonic Orchestra  UK & Malaysia
  • Singapore Symphony Orchestra Singapore & Japan
  • South Carolina Philharmonic USA
  • State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico Mexico
  • Syracuse Symphony Orchestra USA
  • Vienna United Philharmonic Austria
  • Virtuosi Symphony Orchestra Brazil
  • Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra China

Highlights of recent achievements by Professor Siow’s students

  • Liu Tianyu:First Prize winner, National Level MTNA, 2020 U.S. Music Teachers’ National Association and a prestigious Kovner fellowship to the Julliard School of Music in 2021
  • Dong DaoyiGold medal in 2015 Shanghai Conservatory Violin Competition
  • Gloria Lee:  Finalist in 2016 Collegiate Virtuoso Concerto Competition 
  • Jordan Elum: one of five students from South Carolina chosen for the 2012 National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute, Washington DC
  • Students admitted to prestigious schools including Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, Johns Hopkins University, University of Michigan, University of Cincinnati.
  • Multiple top prize winners of South Carolina Music Teachers Association Competition

 


Courses Taught

MUSC 131 - Music Appreciation
MUSC 296 - Repertory Class: Violin
MUSC 355
- Chamber Music
MUSP 223
- Applied Music: Violin
MUSP 423
- Applied Music: Violin