Bio
Born in Taiwan, pianist Amy I-Lin Cheng has appeared in recitals and music festivals across the United States, in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Taiwan, Brazil and Israel. She has been described by the New York Concert Review as a pianist whose “control of the keyboard is complete, technique easy and relaxed, with a wide range of touch.” Pianist Claude Frank describes her as “a brilliant, sensitive, imaginative and most beguiling pianist.” Amy’s live performances have been heard on WGBH, KCSC, WHYY, La Radio Suisse Romande-Espace 2, and NPR in Houston. As a recital soloist, Amy has concertized at venues such as the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Merkin Concert Hall in New York City, Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, and National Concert Hall in Taipei. Amy made her Boston concerto debut at the age of 17 at Jordan Hall under the direction of Benjamin Zhander. She has appeared as a concerto soloist with the 'Musica Viva' Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Taichung Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Pines in Texas and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, among others.
An avid chamber musician, she is the co-Artistic Director of the Brightmusic Society of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, a non-profit organization presenting chamber music concerts since 2003. In May 2012, Brightmusic will present a Bach and Brahms Festival, featuring solo piano and chamber music works by these two major composers. Amy is an artist member of the America’s Dream Chamber Artists, as well as the pianist for Duo Clarion with husband/clarinetist Chad Burrow. The duo forms Trio Solari with violinist Yung-Hsiang Wang. Amy’s 2011-12 season performances include tours with the American Chamber Players, Trio Solari, Duo Clarion, performances with the Michigan Chamber Players, and regular appearances on Brightmusic Chamber Music Series. Amy has been a faculty member at the 2009 Interharmony International Music Festival in Germany and 2010-11 Quartz Mountain Music Festival. Amy has been part of many commissioning initiatives and has recorded several chamber music works by composers such as Edward Knight, Laura Schwendinger, Stephen Rush and Adolphus Hailstork on Centaur, Albany and the Block M Record.
A graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music (BM), Yale University School of Music (MM and Artist Diploma), and the New England Conservatory (DMA), her principal teachers are Claude Frank, Wha-Kyung Byun and Rolf-Peter Wille. Prior to coming to Ann Arbor, Amy was the Head of the Piano Area at Oklahoma City University Wanda L. Bass School of Music (06-09), and served as Assistant Professor of Piano at Oklahoma State University (02-06). Amy is currently on faculty at the Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts and serves as a collaborative pianist for the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, where she has appeared on numerous faculty and student recitals, and featured on several faculty recording projects.