Mike Chen

Viola

Mike joined the viola section of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2018. He was associate principal viola of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra from 2012 to 2018 and served as its acting principal violist from 2012 to 2017. Mike was a member of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra from 2003 to 2012, and prior to that, a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago from 1992 to 1995. Additionally, Mike has performed with the Cincinnati Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and Chicago Symphony. In 2017, Mike joined the Cincinnati Symphony on its European Festivals Tour. 

Mike received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Northwestern University, studying violin with Blair Milton. In 1999, he began playing the viola and studied with Li-Kuo Chang. His other teachers include Michael Strauss, Peter Slowik, Keith Conant, and Baird Dodge.

Mike received a Master’s degree in conducting at Northwestern University in 1999, studying with Victor Yampolsky and Mariusz Smolij. His other conducting teachers include Gilbert Varga, David Zinman, and Murry Sidlin. Mike was a conducting fellow at the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen, Colorado, in 2008. He has also served as assistant conductor of the Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, guest conductor of the Webster University Community Music School’s Young People’s Symphony Orchestra, and guest conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Side-by-Side Orchestra.