Chen was born in Taihoku Prefecture, Taiwan on 9 July 1942.[3] He began his musical career studying the violin,[4] and won first prize in Taiwan's provincial violin competition in 1959.[4] Later, he studied at the Munich Conservatory in Germany.[2] He returned to Taiwan in 1969 and played violin in several orchestras.[5]
Career
Early career
In 1971, Chen moved to Austria to study conducting, returning again to Taiwan in 1973 to work for the Taiwan Provincial Symphony Orchestra.[citation needed] He later moved to the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (TSO), which he led for 17 years.[citation needed] He began staging operas with them. In this era, the TSO had not yet begun to stage operas; consequently, Chen's were almost the only Western operas known at that time in Taiwan.[6] He was praised for his work at the podium conducting both orchestral and operatic works.[4] Every year Chen and the TSO produced one or two operas (among them Aida, Otello and Turandot) which became major musical events in Taiwan.[6]
In a 2003 article in the Taipei Times newspaper, Chen was described as "a veritable Taiwanese 'living national treasure'", due to his "long line of magnificent concerts and opera productions."[5]
In March 2014, Chen came out of retirement and for the first time publicly praised Shen Yun Performing Arts for their "staging techniques" while reflecting that the institution deserved its reputation.[citation needed]
Firing
In September 2003, Chen was accused of corruption and involvement in a forgery scandal.[6] As a result, the Department of Culture Affairs of the Taipei City Government decided to relieve him of his post.[6] Chen eventually chose to retire, and some people believed he was forced to do so.[citation needed] In 2010, the Taipei Times asserted that "according to many in Taipei's classical music scene, not a shred of evidence involving Chen in any wrongdoing was ever discovered."[6] Chen meanwhile returned to university teaching, making occasional appearances as a guest conductor.[6]
Death
Chen died on 9 April 2018 in Taipei at the age of 75.[3][8]