We were brought together in
pursuit of dreams
In May 2022, for the love of music in her heart, Natalia invited her friends Greta and Stella to find the possibility of forming a chamber orchestra. Through the vast network of Taiwanese mothers in Vancouver, they met Apphia, Jessica, Kate, and Ling who share the same vision. Together, they formed the Vancouver Taiwanese Mom Chamber Ensemble in June 2022.
What they have envisioned was purely simple - to encourage more mothers with the same immigrant background to pursue their passion, and to support local charities in British Columbia through the ensemble's performances. They wish to give back to their second home through these little contributions.
In the future, the Vancouver Taiwanese Mom Chamber Orchestra will actively create diverse forms of performances, collaborate with musicians or amateurs in various genres, and promote different cultural exchanges as well as continue to support local charities.
Biography
Piano
Greta Chen
Greta was born in Taipei, Taiwan and started her music study in piano and flute at a young age. She obtained the Bachelor of Music degree from the National Taiwan Normal University, then worked as a music teacher at a junior high school in New Taipei City after graduation. After getting married, Greta moved to the US with her husband to pursuit the Master of Music Education at Columbia University. She moved to Vancouver in 2012, and currently works as a dental clinic manager in assisting her husband to operate two dental clinics. She is a mother of two boys and a girl.
Violin
Stella Wang
Stella was born in Tainan, Taiwan, and started studying piano and violin at a young age. She obtained the elementary school teaching license after graduating from the National Taiwan Normal University with a Master of Music. Stella worked as a teacher for the music talent program in an elementary school in Taichung, she had 16 years of teaching experience prior to moving to Vancouver in 2020 after getting married. Stella started her music school locally in 2021, where she teaches piano and violin besides rehearsing, performing, and taking care of her beautiful daughter
Flute
Jessica Wu
Jessica was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and moved to Vancouver with her family at the age of 12. She started her music journey in kindergarden through piano, then studied flute and violin at the age of 11. Jessica joined the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra as a principal flautist in her high school years, and she participated in various local competitions including the Kiwanis Music Festival and BCMEA Honor Orchestra. She was accepted into the music faculty at the University of Victoria, however decided to forgo the dream of becoming a professional musician at last. Jessica is a mother of an active boy, and she currently works for the BC Public Service as a Change Management Implementation Strategist.
Flute
Natalia Tseng (Leader）
Natalia was born in Taipei, Taiwan and started studying piano when she was a little girl. With the musical foundation she has developed, Natalia played the cello in the string orchestra of her elementary school. She decided to challenge herself and played the flute in the wind orchestra during her secondary school years. Natalia got married and moved to Vancouver in 2016, but she has never stopped looking for an opportunity to be involved in music playing again. She finally made the dream come true and established the Vancouver Taiwanese Mom Chamber Ensemble in 2022. You can find Natalia chasing after her two children - a boy and a girl - outside of work, church services, rehearsals and performances.
Viola
Ling Hsieh
Ling was born in Taoyuan, Taiwan, and started learning piano and viola at the age of 8. She played the accordion in her elementary school band in grade 6. Ling moved to Vancouver in 1993 with her family, and finished her Bachelors degree in Ontario. Afterwards, she returned to Vancouver for work and also started a family of her own. Ling has been occupied with raising her two talented daughters, and finally decided to continue her unfulfilled dream of playing the viola in a music group after the girls have grown up. Ling can often be found on the golf course cheering for her daughters.
Cello
Apphia Lo
Apphia was born in Yilan, Taiwan, and she started her piano study at the age of 7. She graduated with Bachelor of Music from the National Taiwan University of Arts, double-majored in voice and piano, and also learned the flute at the age of 18. In 2000, Apphia got married and moved to Johannesburg in South Africa with her husband. She moved again to Canada in 2006, and she is a proud mother of three young men. Apphia fell in love with the calming and soothing sound of cello after she became a mother, and she has been indulged in learning to play this beautiful instrument ever since.
Cello
Kate Shih
Kate was born in Taipei, Taiwan and started learning the piano at the age of 4. She was accepted into the music talent program at an elementary school in Taipei and majored in cello. She played as the principal cellist in the Taipei First Girls High School string orchestra, and she continued to perform with her church choir. Kate moved to Vancouver in 2015 with her husband, her daughter, and her son. She currently works as an accountant. Kate enjoys both the melodious sound of cello and fulfilling this musical dream with friends who share the same pursuit, outside of her busy work schedule.
Musician-in-Residence:Violin
I-Hsin Wu
I-Hsin was born in Tainan, Taiwan and has just earned her Graduate Diploma degree with a full scholarship-Marina Kun at the University of Ottawa studying with Timothy Chooi and Nikki Chooi. I-Hsin serves as a violin player of different orchestras in North America, including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony, Vancouver Island Symphony, Topeka Symphony Orchestra, Wichita Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. She received her Artist Diploma degree from the University of Cincinnati studying with Won Bin Yim, and her Master of Music degree from the University of Missouri - Kansas City studying with Benny Kim.